Genesis
by logan
Summary: my first series... taiora. deals with the lives of the digidestined after the death of their leader and the coming of a new foe called the digimon emperor. now the digidestined battle for earth against this tyrant As the war rages against the emperor, two
1. Genesis 1

Disclaimer: I don't own tai or Sora or anyone else... just the story... well this is officially my first series.... I am going to try to blend romance, action, drama into this series... hopefully you'll like it... and hopefully I'll finish what I started here..... this is a little different then I usually am with angst... But trust me... this is just part one.... there will be more..... the big romance is yet to come into play... and I hope you'll like it... ^_^ (angel... angst..... my best shot at it this far...

DO NOT EXPECT THIS OFTEN FROM ME.....)

  
  


Mail me at [logan91235@aol.com][1]

  
  
  
  


**_Genesis_**__

by Logan

  
  


  
  


**"Hero"**

part 1

  
  


"Genesis, a word categorized to describe the beginning or coming of a person or thing.. The beginning....... it was a word used biblically to describe the creation of heaven and earth. Yet in the year of the great digital wars genesis was a name. He had been called a savior, a destroyer, a lover, and an instrument of Armageddon. He was a life that was not meant to be, and yet by man's hand he was... and in one man's efforts to bring about a new beginning, or a neo-genesis. He proved that some powers were meant to exist beyond the grasp of man......

for the sake of man...."

  
  


  
  


Tai had changed much in the early years of the digidestined's saga. Well his change had been the result of one girl in actuality. Taichi had loved Sora more then anything for longer then he had ever been able to put to days. Yet he remained silent. It was through this silence that he lost his chance. There was another young man who had developed feelings for the young girl. And though he didn't love her in the depth which Taichi did he was able to do what tai could not... he was able to tell her.

  
  


The digidestined had noticed that Sora and matt's relationship had changed their leader with the same suddenness of a black gear as it plunges into the flesh of an innocent soul. Where once tai had been a kind and caring young man, now he was a figure of darkness and dread amongst them. he ate alone and only spoke when giving orders. Yet he lead them in a way never before witnessed. He was to them something more then human.. A creature born of pain and rage who had grown a thick armor of steel over his once tender heart. His eyes no longer glowed with friendship or tenderness. Behind those eyes was a ferocity never held within the aspect of a child's face.

  
  


The heart is a powerful thing... the soul and mind can be changed so effortlessly should the heart decree it. All the love he had held for Sora had turned to emptiness and darkness. And as this dark metamorphosis took place all that was innocent died. Tai had always been a good leader... yet now... he was driven to save this world not for the sake of the world, but for the ability to escape this agony that he now wallowed in. He was a god on the battlefield... yet he was less then alive without the scent of death upon the air.

******************

  
  


"Dammit tai, we need a break!" matt yelled from his place at Sora's side. Tai ignored him as they continued to plod across the dead desert earth of the digital world. The wind clawed at their skin like a sea of shattered glass on the wing.

  
  


The terrain was large and vast.. Mountains of sand protruded skyward as vast dunes of burning golden sand. And as the wind would kick up the hills would take flight as a flock of razor winged locusts. Tai had given his goggles to TK so the young boy would be able to ward off the sand from his eyes. Kari had tied her scarf over her eyes so they were shielded from the swirling winds of sand. It was hot.... the sun glowed down at them as a vast demonic beast of fire. It didn't glow with warmth, yet it screamed with heat. This in combination to the thick, dry, burning air became a seemingly unbearable climate... yet tai continued on oblivious to the hostility of the environment.

  
  


Matt grew angered at his dismissal and brushed away Sora's hand so that he could meet tai at the head of the group. Sora had tried to stop him yet was too late. She looked ahead with fear at the outcome of this action. Matt hated tai because despite the fact that he had Sora.. He had never truly beaten tai. It burned within his veins.. The knowledge that HIS girlfriend was still in love with someone else. Tai hated matt because matt had what he had wanted his whole life.

The two remained locked in the endless waltz of hate and peace. Yet as it seemed the second matt had taken Sora from tai's prospects the dance had turned into a dance shared by mortal foes as they circled one another in the ballet of combat and war. Peace was a memory... for tai was at war... he was at war with matt... he was at war with the world around him... he was at war with his own heart....

  
  


"Hey tai we are tired! We need a break!" matt growled as he grabbed tai's shoulder in an attempt to intimidate the young leader with his tight grip. The others gaped at this act of suicide.. Tai had killed evil digimon in battle... he had regretted killing them... but tai hated matt.... there was no question as to the end result of this action... the only question that rang through the minds of the others was if they would be able to stop this....

  
  


He spoke in a low and growling voice.

  
  


"We are too open to attack here... take your hand off of me now." he hissed

  
  


"what if I don't?!" matt snarled back.

  
  


"This...."

  
  


Tai lunged backward and with a show of great speed and demonic strength threw matt back several feet into the burning sand. The blond rolled like a toy as he came to a lurching halt several feet further away from his adversary. He spat gritty sand from his parched lips as he began to rise up. His eyes glowed upward at tai with the same menace a razor ice-sickle shows to the world as it longs to plummet downward to the earth with a killing impact. Sora ran to him and grabbed his shoulders in an attempt to stop him from continuing this act of hostility. He pushed her aside in a huff of anger. 

  
  


Sora was off balance and as matt brushed her off, she stumbled and fell. The positioning of the hill exaggerated her injury as she tumbled backward as a rag doll would look as it plummeted down the stairs. She yelped lightly as she fell on her leg, which twisted slightly.

  
  


If there existed one way to evoke the greatest wrath from Taichi Kamiya it was by doing what he had done. With a cry of rage tai leaped upon him as some great demonic remnant from the prehistoric predators of the past. Matt yelped as tai began to violently throw him around as a toy. He screamed of rage as for the first time he had been given an outlet to all the pain he had known from losing Sora without a fight. This blond moron didn't deserve her... he didn't recognize her as tai did... matt had never fought tai like this.. There was no order or restraint... he was trying to rip him apart.... matt had tried to block the onslaught, yet found that Taichi had grown stronger in his anger and from the bubbling pit of his rage he was delivering crushing punches... suddenly he felt one fist grip his troat. It clamped down over him as a bear would upon a trout. The grip was tightening as matt managed to open his eyes to one of the most terrifying images he had ever seen.... tai was looking into his fearful eyes as a predator sees its' prey. There was a primal hunger in those eyes... a lust to kill... tai wasn't completely there now... what was seemed more a demon then a man... his lips pulled upward in a soft grin as his hand drew back in the same method a bow pulls back to release an arrow with force enough to pierce the heavens...

  
  


His fist was open... it was a martial art posture that matt vaguely recognized... it was a power strike... a blow meant to kill. Tai's wrist was lined up with his forearm in a way to focus a powerful blow in one point... it was as though tai's hand were a lance, and this weapon was ready to end the life of his rival. For a moment matt had imagined that he would asphyxiate within tai's grip. Yet now it seemed he would have his skull crushed inward. He regretted provoking tai... it was the same as slapping a god in the face. Matt was a fool to anger this god... and he realized solemnly he would die as a fool.... he closed his eyes...

  
  


Silence....

  
  
  
  


"Please..... this isn't you tai..." a soft voice said in a tone matt could barely distinguish.

  
  
  
  


Matt looked up groggily to the image of Sora with her arms around tai holding him back.

"Please tai... stop it...." she spoke softly as her eyes looked into tai's dark lifeless eyes. Those eyes were full or tears as he looked at her. She was beautiful... and not his... he looked down to where matt wriggled against his grip. He opened his hand sadly allowing the boy to drop to his knees where he violently gaged and coughed. He looked back to Sora, and then away....

Tai rose up from where yamato lay in a stunned dizzy spell. He said nothing, simply walked away from the boy he hated more then anything, and the girl he loved more then anything.

  
  


A god in battle.... alone in peace.....

******************

  
  


it had become a particularly dark and hateful night. They had taken refuge from the swirling biting winds of the endless digital deserts within a rare oasis of ancient dark trees. It was ironic how the weather could change so instantaneously. The second the glowing ember within the sky faded behind the mountainous horizon it grew cold. So cold in fact that tai had feared it would snow. The trees that surrounded them were blackened and seemingly props from some horror movie set. And in this charming location the digidestined slept huddled together for warmth.

  
  


All but one however... tai looked back to them with an emotionless expression. Tai slept away from the others. He didn't feel right with them anymore, even his sister Kari. She now huddled together with Mimi and TK. Tai looked away.. He didn't want to see them... especially who Sora would most likely be cuddling next to.... it hurt so much to see them together everyday. In tai's darker moments he had considered something... they fought so many lethal enemies everyday... it would be so easy for him to just step into an attack. He would be killed effortlessly and as he died he would be free of the pain and throbbing within his chest. He had almost done it once.

  
  


A Monocromon had released his volcanic strike attack. Tai had looked at the advancing wall of fire with a calm joy. He didn't even need to move.. Just wait for the blessed tide of burning flame to embrace him... he would die... and he no longer cared. Yet as he looked back to the digidestined one final time his eyes caught hers. She was crying as it occurred to her what he was thinking. He looked into those eyes of love and as he did he realized that he couldn't leave her here... he wanted to die, but not to risk her in doing so. Matt could never lead them to victory, and though tai knew Sora could.. He could not let her suffer in the way a leader does... he could spare her of that at least.... with a heavy heart he avoided the flames and went on to kill the dragon-like digimon. He whispered a soft apology to it as he patted its' head while it breathed its' last breath.

  
  


"Thanks anyway... die in peace...." he whispered to the large digimon.

  
  


He only was alive today for her. He would find the irony of the situation humerus had he not been the butt of this cosmic joke, he didn't want to live because of her, yet he couldn't die because of her.

  
  


"Tai?...." He was broken from his thoughts by her soft voice.

  
  


He looked up to see Sora before him. She was smiling softly at him with a sad expression. He motioned her to sit next to him on a log which was serving as his pillow.

  
  


"Tai.. What are you doing here by yourself, it's freezing?" She tried to suppress her yelling voice at tai's actions. Yet as she looked up into the sad dark eyes of her one true love it was a useless action to be mad at him. She reached over to him and threw her arms around him in an effort to warm his frigid skin.

  
  


"It's ok Sor.. I like the cold."

  
  


"Tai you're skin is like ice." Sora held him to her as her hands ran across his frigid skin. She was worried about him... her body heat was beginning to warm his touch to her. He began to return the action on her own bare arms. The feelings were so good. There was always an attraction between the two... yet it went un-granted for so long that now an action of pure innocence, such as warming her friend, had turned into something more of lust. They stroked eachother's cold faces with a growing warmth between them. yet just as their lips were about to meet in their first kiss... Sora stopped...

  
  


"Oh tai, I... we can't do this... matt...." she said with a hint of sorrow as she backed off.

  
  


Tai looked at her with sad eyes. He rose up to his feet and began to walk away, deeper into the forest. He didn't look back, just called out to her "have a good night Sora... I'll see you in the morning...."

  
  


"Good night... tai....." she whispered as she went to rejoin the others.

  
  


The winds grew colder that night... and amongst the sea of shadows one ghost slept upon a bed of earth. With the canopy of dead branches overhead as a blanket... tai had never slept as soundly as he had that night.

Alone.

******************

  
  


the sun brought with it a newfound warmth to the world around them. The blackened trees hung less horrifically. The air had warmed to a more gentle temperature.. It was the mourning so the full heat of the day was not yet upon them.. For the time there was a calmness in the air.

  
  


"Greetings digidestined..." genni said with his normal upbeat attitude, despite the fact that he always used that tone when delivering warnings of impending doom.

  
  


He paused as he looked at matt who hung to the back of the group. Matt now had a deep lavender black eye and a vast array of bruises and cuts from his previous altercation with Taichi. He scowled back with arms crossed across his chest.

  
  


"My word... did you get attacked by some evil digimon?" genni questioned.

  
  


Matt mearly growled in response. For the first time all day tai cracked a dry grin as he suppressed the urge to begin whistling innocently.

  
  


"My apologies for this, but we have a problem..."

  
  
  
  


"What else is new?" joe whined.

  
  


"It appears an old enemy of you has resurfaced, and devised a machine capable of a level twelve plasma pulse..."genni was strangely sober as he uttered the technological term. The tone he used to say the gibberish techno-babble gave the message as to its' severity.

  
  


Tai looked to izzy for a translation only to find izzy pale at the comment.

  
  


"Well... what is a level twelve plasma pulse?" matt asked.

  
  


"It's similar in power to a electromagnetic pulse the size of a super nova... but this is unlike an EMP in that plasma effects organic matter instead of technological matter. If this device could generate a pulse like that here in the digital world it would eradicate all organic matter within the planet. That means all digimon who are not strictly machine and all plant and animal life... would be... erased...." he staggered

  
  


"That's genocide...." Sora gaped

  
  


"He calls it the organic purge of the digital world... should this occur the entire digital world would be dead... this world has a delicate balance between organic and inorganic life. Should the purge occur that balance would be broken to the point where it could never be regained. Also.. You digidestined would inevitably be killed as well...... this digimon must be stopped at all costs"

  
  


tai's eyes narrowed... "Genni... who is this digimon?...."

  
  


"After he was killed in the battle with you digidestined, it appears he saved a backup of himself which later replicated and re-made himself... he is.... Datamon...."

  
  


Sora grew pale as she began to shake slightly... tai's eyes began to glow with hate as the images of the day where he had almost lost Sora to Datamon came flooding back in violent imagery. The name of that technological demon had a strange power to torment Taichi... By uttering such a name he could appear within tai's mind with the same ghastly images of Sora falling into that pit of twisted wire and cables. Tai had never been as afraid as he had been when Sora was nearly killed. he hated him in a way he had never known hatred... even matt was above this monster... tai found his voice quivering in rage as he choked out three words: "Where... Is... He?..... "

  
  
  
  


******************

  
  


they stood atop a plateau of dead earth overlooking the vast valley. No plant life existed within this darkened crater of dead earth. It was as though this were a valley of death and evil. It had no green to mask its' evil, just a thick and outstretching carpet of brown grass and grey lifeless earth. The trees were blackened and leafless.. It was as though they were skeletal claws reaching into the heavens in hateful rage. They had an effect over the minds of the digidestined... TK cowered behind his brother while Kari clung to Sora like a mother is clung to by a terrified child. The ground was reeked of death, so much so that a sudden panic crossed Mimi's features at the idea of walking over this hellish earth.. Within her mind there was images of the ground bursting forth with thousands of rotting corpses and demons with blackened eye sockets and worm gnawed flesh.

  
  


The sky was not the normal blue.. It was a sick tarish black, filled with brown chocking clouds of smog. No digimon dared to travel this terrain... it was devoid of life and abundant in death.. And in the center of this artificial hell stood the spire....

  
  


The spire was constructed of cold steel plating and twisting wires and cable. It reached high into the clouded stratosphere. It appeared to have mechanical roots as though it were some grotesque tree. These large cable roots stretched outward into the earth. They twisted and pulsed as though the thing was alive.... these "veins" of pulsating steel stretched up the entire structure and moved as giant tendrils of horrific perportune.. The plates of steel pulsed outward in terrible wheezing breaths. The humans found that their stomachs churned in nausea as they debated if this structure was actually a building or some giant demonic living growth on the flesh of the Digiworld.

  
  


It came as a terrible realization that this thing was alive itself... and somewhere within was Datamon...

  
  


"My god...." joe whispered

  
  


"God has nothing to do with that...." Mimi whispered.

  
  


"Look there... near the top..." tai said softly as he stared through his mini-telescope.

  
  


On one of the upper levels of this tower of evil existed several glowing red spheres that were as great sickening eyes that looked out over the landscape. They had those same metalic veins running through them. they too pulsated outward and contorted in the illusion of life.

  
  


"Izz... you said they would need several lenses to focus the pulse's directory back to the digital world's core. Would those things work?" tai asked gravely

  
  


"Yes... I think they would... those must be the lenses... theoretically if we could destroy them the pulse wouldn't work...."

  
  


"Should I have Birdromon digivolve and take them out tai?" Sora asked quietly.

  
  


"No... something isn't right...Datamon wouldn't let it be this easy....."

  
  


Tai cautiously reached below and withdrew a stone from the ground he studied it for a moment.

  
  


"Everyone.. Get down..."

  
  


Tai reared back and with a quick jerk of his arm tossed the stone high into the sky. All eyes were on the projectile. Yet as it was only five feet into the stillness of the air the ground exploded beneath it with a mist of dry grey earth and sand... one of the demonic roots that had laid submerged within the earth suddenly sprung to life like a scorpion's tail. It jetted upward as a whip and as it collided with the stone it engulfed it within its' coils. Within a moments time the cable crushed the rock to a soft white powder. As the tendril waited in suspense all eyes were wide and fixed upon its' smooth surface. Then as a worm it vanished back within the blanket of silt-like sand.

  
  


They were pale as they looked upon the unassuming mound of sand which concealed the most lethal of weaponry.

  
  


"Tai.. Datamon must have a motion sensor net and those tendrils all around the valley underneath the sand. There's no way to get through..." izzy whispered.

  
  


"Can you disable it?" Sora asked

  
  


"It would take days.. And blasting it would only advertise we're here...."

  
  


"Izz... we need a way to short them out...."

  
  


Izzy mearly looked back to the tower with a look of debate.. His mind was reeling as he considered other aspects with which he could bring down the defenses. His gaze widened as it came across the lenses at the summit of the tower.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"That's it..." he whispered as he frantically pulled out his computer and began to feverishly punch the keys. He spoke as he continued to compute the mathematics.

  
  


"We can use an EMP pulsewave to short out the defenses.... it would also neutralize any way for Datamon to pinpoint our location... Theoretically it will work......"

  
  


Tai looked from the sands of death back to the blank expressions of the digidestined as they attempted to comprehend what the hell the computer genius was saying... Sora was the one to break the silence.

  
  


"Izzy.... one problem: to create an EMP large enough for this we would need a very powerful electronic device to detonate...." Sora whispered

  
  
  
  


"Was I the only one asleep the day they taught this in science?!?" joe growled.

  
  


"We don't have anything that could work....." 

  
  
  
  


tai looked gravely down to his belt, then back to the mountain.... he spoke softly with low and dark words.

  
  


"Yes we do...." as tai spoke he reached to his belt and withdrew his digivice. Their eyes went wide as they realized what tai had in mind. He looked down at his digivice.. It shimmered in metallic luster within the midday sun. tai tenderly traced the screen which illuminated with gentle light. He looked from the glowing device to the reptilian creature at his side. There was a silent sorrow as the two friends held a silent conversation. They were friends... and to do what was necessary now would sever that bond.

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Sora... give me your digivice....." he requested sorrowfully. Without debate she handed him her own device. It to glowed as tai examined it...

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Tai's expression turned to stone as he summoned the great icy power he had developed to keep his emotions buried within the last few months. He slowly raised both devices into the air and then turned them so they were facing eachother screen to screen. His eyes slipped shut as the two devices began to glow brightly...

  
  


"Digimon protocol sequence begin.

Augumon code transfer begin...." he spoke in a voice that wasn't completely his own. The words echoed from all directions.

  
  


They stared in awe at how he knew to do this... something within Taichi's mind was telling him how to command the digivice in this way.... the winds began to pick up and swirl around them as a dervish...

  
  


he paused as he mouthed out one final goodbye to augumon then drawing in a deep breath spoke the final command.

  
  


"System erase... begin after transfer.....

  
  


Authorization code: destiny....." 

  
  


as he spoke the words there was a great flash of golden white light, which began to swirl around him as glowing tendrils of smoke. They danced around him violently as their movements became more erratic and they doubled in number and size.

  
  


the two devices began to burn within tai's grasp. From the screens now burned white fire which flared around tai's grasp on the two devices. The others stood in a mesmerized state as they watched tai gritting his teeth in agony as a beam of pure white light exploded from tai's device into Sora's... tai wanted to scream... by some strange power he had known how to do this... yet he hadn't known it would hurt like this... in one instant he had understood the connection the digidestined had held to the digimon. This digivice was a part of himself... and as he copied the files and information to Sora's digivice he felt as though he were erasing a part of himself.

  
  


The sky around them screamed with thunder as tai renounced his position as a digidestined by erasing his digivice. The two devices began to shake and struggle as though they wished to escape. Bolts of silver lightning erupted from his grip as he snarled in agony. The others began to cower as they got a glimpse into the true power of the digivice, and the power that existed within them. His feet lifted several feet from the ground as he continued to cling to the two digivices.

Tai's eyes shot open only to reveal that they too glowed with the same silver white light. The sky rained sparks as the wind howled around them. Tai's hair danced wildly in the swirling winds as he felt his hands submersed in white flame.

  
  


Suddenly all was still.

  
  


Tai dropped to his feet and looked down to his hands in horror to see that the fire had burned through his gloves, and now upon his palms there was a deep burned-in impression of the two digivice screens. They were etched perfectly to match the machines. The flesh was scared terribly 

He felt ill as he tried to avoid breathing in the foul smell of sizzling flesh. The devices were now cool to the touch, yet as tai closed his throbbing fist small tendrils of grey smoke gently lifted away from the part between each burned digit. The heat had both cut and cauterized the wounds leaving tai with two very painful and permanent scars. He never cried out... and as the others stared in horror at what they had just witnessed he began to slowly walk tword Sora.

  
  


Matt wanted to intercept him.. He knew that Sora had feelings for his rival.. But he had watched tai's hands burn with flames and the boy had not screamed out. Tai had never seemed more godlike... and for the first time matt was truly afraid of this boy he had once called friend.

  
  


Tai looked down to where izzy stood in shocked horror. He reached down and handed him his digivice which seemed cold and dead as its screen remained a sickening black. Izzy dumbly received it.

  
  


"Program it...." he ordered softly in a low voice

  
  


the young boy hesitated for only a second before he began to rig the immensely powerful device into an explosive capable of detonating and creating a pulse of such ferocity as to kill this living tower.

  
  


Tai shuffled over to Sora slowly. He painfully handed her the digivice that now contained the information to both biyomon and augumon.

  
  


"Sora... augumon is your digimon now...." he replied sadly as the small reptile crept to her side along with biyomon.

  
  


Tai cast one final glance to his friend. The digimon looked back to tai with a deep sorrow etched upon his features... who would imagine the reptilian face could portray such pain and sorrow. Tai knelt before him as the young dragon crept closer to his partner of old. They embraced in a tight hug. Tai whispered something inaudible to anyone except the dragon.

"Protect her, old friend....."

  
  


******************

  
  


the digivice's protective shielding had been modified to reveal a vast and confusing assortment of copper wiring, and a seeming maze of circuit board that stretched the entire. It was now irregular in shape, and bore a strong resemblance to a Frankenstein monster. Several red cables stretched through the gaping opening to izzy's cellular phone which had been modified to act as a trigger for the pulse.... the screen pulsated with light as a beating heart.

  
  


Tai looked down over his digivice with a sickening expression... it looked like it had been run over by a greymon.....

  
  


"Izz... are you positive that it will be able to generate a large enough pulse?" Sora asked while she casually stroked augumon's snout. It was strange to see the digimon respond so readily to her. Her eyes traveled to tai who was perched on the edge of the cliff. He looked sad.... yet from the depths of his sorrow a strength radiated.... she had so many questions... why had he volunteered so readily to make such a sacrifice? Why had he chosen her? Why was he so calm, despite the fact that they were facing the most important battle of their lives to date.....

"The digivice is more powerful then a nuclear war head..... if he wired it right it will be strong enough to short the entire complex...." tai called back from where he remained sentinel.

  
  


"Tai... it's ready....." the young boy uttered softly as he handed tai the EMP-grenade. Tai smiled softly as he tested the weapon's weight in his hand. He looked back to the destined solemnly.

  
  


They were afraid. TK and Kari were holding each other as they looked to the towering spire. Even in the eyes of the older teens there was a fear in the air.... this was an all or nothing scenario... should they falter.... they couldn't falter....

  
  
  
  


"Listen up.... this is a moment of truth.... we were called to this world as saviors... now we find ourselves put to the test... this is when it counts... the weight of life itself is on us now.... we get the chance to save a world.... we get the chance to stop a monster from committing the most evil of acts.... genocide..... I know this is a lot... this would be more then many adults could take... sometimes I forget that we are all still children....

  
  


Children weren't meant to face this... they weren't meant to be in a situation where they may loose their lives before they had a real chance to live them.....

  
  


For that reason I am asking you all not to join me on this if you're not really sure it's worth it. This is a choice we each must make on our own.... it's time to ask yourself if you are ready.... 

As you ask yourself I ask you only to do one thing.... 

  
  
  
  


don't think of friendship....

  
  
  
  


don't think of courage......"

  
  
  
  


he paused as his soft eyes looked to Sora who stared back at him with an emotion tai had never seen in her....

  
  


"Think of love.....

  
  


if you have something you love enough to die to protect then I ask that you join me now..... I ask you to make your choice if you are truly ready.....

  
  


ready to fight...

  
  


ready to die.... 

  
  


ready to..... be heros........"

  
  


Tai turned back to the chasm as he awaited their responses. He found his answer in the form of a soft hand on his shoulder. He turned to face them... they each stood before him with a look of determination on their faces. He smiled softly as he looked at Sora... she stood before them all with a look of pride in her tender crimson eyes. She was the one to break the silence.

  
  


"Did you honestly think we'd leave you now tai?"

  
  


He smiled as he lifted the grenade into the air.

  
  


"Day of destiny..." he uttered softly....

  
  
  
  


******************

  
  


it flew into the sky and for an instant it hung in the air above the valley of death. It shimmered lightly in the air as it plummeted back to the earth. All eyes were on the grenade as it effortlessly glided through the air. 

  
  


The ground suddenly exploded upward as several of the long whip tentacles ripped from the earth and flew tword the last hope of the digital world. They were so fast.... just as they were no closer then several inches time froze....

  
  


The light was blinding.... A sea of pure white radiance pierced the heavens and bathed the earth in a mighty wave of energy... the light danced with electricity as it hurtled across the landscape as a monstrous pillar of light. The swirling light congregated around the spire. The smoggy black clouds parted and gave way to the light as it cut its' way to the heart of heaven.

  
  


It rained shimmering snowflakes of white energy down across the earth in a amazing and breathtaking act of Devine power. The tower screamed.... it was a shrill screech of gears dying and metal scraping into metal with a symphony of sparks. The tendrils writhed in agony as they slumped to the ground as a snake would after receiving a fatal wound.

  
  
  
  


From the wall of light that pierced the skies they came.... the digidestined rode as knights into battle. the light sparked and shimmered with white un-burning fire. They appeared as shadows from the blaze of Devine fire.

  
  


Joe stood atop the armored shell of zudomon as he sprinted through the blaze. His war hammer thundered forward as he rushed upon the sea of mechanical digimon that poured from the slack gaping jaws of the dying spire. The instrument of his wrath thundered as Vulcan's hammer crashed through walls of metalic adversaries. He pushed through them his hammer clanging loudly as he fought his way through... joe stood atop him with a look of true bravery and strength....

  
  


The sky suddenly burst forward as a cloud of swirling light gave way to the flying digimon.

  
  


Izzy sat atop the armored shell of mega kabuterimon as his thrusters roared. The giant insect digimon descended on the mob of short-circuiting digimon as a giant black shadow.

  
  


At his side Mimi and lillymon flew forward into the great brawl. She was soon followed by Takeru and Hikari who clung to the backs of their digimon, who began to fly through the war with weapons blazing.

  
  


Matt stood atop the back of metal garurumon effortlessly as the mechanical wolf's thrusters roared. His two razor wings hung at his side erect, cutting the air as he flew.

  
  


"I hope you know what you're doing Kamiya.... come on garurumon!" with that the mighty wolf drove to the fray with a monestrous enthusiasm for warfare.

  
  


Only two figures remained soaring high in the stratosphere above the battle. war greymon glided at Sora's side keeping pace with the massive flaming mega digimon.... phoenixmon... the merging of Taichi's digivice to Sora's unlocked the capacity for a warp digivolve..... The massive bird glowed with violent flames as it's long magnificent wings stretched out seemingly forever. Atop the mighty phoenix's back two shadowy figures stood side by side.

  
  


Tai scowled to the battle. "we'll win.... the pulse is still shorting them out.... They can't hold out too much longer....." he said in a deep commanding voice as he looked down onto the carnage.

  
  


"Tai... what do you have planned?..." Sora questioned as she brushed the hair from her eyes. Tai smiled softly to her as he looked back to the raging inferno of battle... the screaming of gears and the explosions of sparks. He could catch glimpses of the digidestined amidst the tide of conflict and warfare. "Destiny...."

  
  


With that said he leapt from the mighty digimon's back. He plummeted downward to earth as a comment does upon entry to the earth's atmosphere. With his arm at his side he guided the fall in a way that he was able to stay in control of the decent. His hair whipped violently at his face as he smiled in exhilaration at the illusion of flight... it was a sense of freedom and stillness as he "flew".... tai felt a part of his being at peace in the conflict of war... for in the anguish and poetry of the battle he was most at home. His senses delighted upon the smooth texture of the cold biting winds of this altitude. It was as though the world had opened to him.... he could smell the smoke of the burning gears... he could hear the clang of steel colliding with steel in a mighty symphony of chaos. To describe war to one who has not seen it is a horrific task....

  
  


War has been accurately called hell... there is death, sorrow, pain... all emotions find their way onto the hollowed grounds that would be sanctified by blood. Yet aside from war being a horrific and evil thing... to the warrior it is a poetic dance. Life is never seen more clearly as it is put to contrast with death in a great magnitude. The surge of adrenalin as it breaths electric fiery life into ever cell of the body. To taste the sweat of warfare upon your brow. To smell the coppery aroma of blood in the air... to die in one mighty blaze of explosive glory.. Or to stand atop a mound of tortured earth and survey the field as a victor.... tai knew this power.... this drug was as deeply addictive as any purchasable upon a darkened street corner... tai was addicted to the fight... he was a warrior... and as any warrior would verify. You never feel as alive as when you are about to die in combat...

  
  


He glanced over only to find phoenixmon at his side at an equally steep dive. Atop the flaming bird he saw Sora with an expression that mirrored his own. Just as planned he was able to grab for one of the long twisting tendrils that now lay dead at the spire's side. He grinned contentedly as he swung gracefully from the turret closer to the ground. The cable had given him enough halt on his free-fall to allow himself to land on his own power. With a graceful action tai landed on bent knee at the foot of the spire. He stood with a contented grin as he looked skyward to see the massive flaming phoenix descending on him. Just seconds before collision the massive firebird flicked its' wings in a way that carried it off the trajectory.

  
  


The digidestined charged the tower and with the massive power of the three mega digimon were able to navigate to the engine room by blasting through wall after wall of writhing steel.. They came to rest in the mighty engine room which stretched up from the base to the top of the demonic spire.

  
  


As they came to a panting halt they gasped in horror at the insides of the spire.... it was more organic looking from the inside then it was from the outside.... within the skeletal framework of the building stood what appeared to be a grinding turning spinal chord. From this center most part of the structure protruded great, long gnarled "ribs" the whole spire was pulsating in labored breaths as the machines continued to dye in agony due to the pulse which still was cackling electronically outside the tower.

  
  


"Where is he?" tai snarled icily....

  
  


"It would take way to long to search every room in this damned tower..." matt growled as he watched a mechanical lung wheeze in agony..."

  
  


"Maybe the pulse thingy shorted out the machine that'll zap the planet?" Mimi added as she pulled her dress up to avoid it touching a throbbing wall.

  
  


"We can't take thee chance it didn't..." Sora added softly.

  
  
  
  


"Ummm... guys.... something has been bothering me...

  
  


Datamon was a cybernetic digimon... meaning he had organic parts just like mechanical parts....

If the purge were to occur it would kill him as well as all the other organic digimon...."

  
  


"That's not like Datamon.... he isn't the kind to kill himself just to get everyone else....."

  
  


"So that means he is somewhere inside the complex behind a shield. The shielding would have protected him and the primary operating system for the EMP...

  
  


I could estimate that we can find him at the summit of the tower... near the optical lenses...

Guys we have to stop this pulse... the EMP wouldn't have effected his system at all....

  
  


The purge is still on....." he said grimly.... 

  
  


Sora stepped forward. "I think you two know what to do now...." she motioned to her digimon who grinned as best their features were capable of portraying.

  
  


******************

  
  
  
  


the room was large... with an octagon shape, it stretched the entire peak of the spire. It's ceiling seemed to stretch upward into a gloomy shadowy endless expanse, yet little was visible due to the hanging wires and machinery which cluttered the void that the shadows created. As the rest of the tower was now doing the machines were wriggling as a dying serpent. The floor was of plated steel which trembled as the great tower continued to shudder in the throws of death. The room was divided by a steel wall blemished only by a thick layer of shimmering glass... to the left of the window there existed a thick armored door which remained tightly fixed to it's locked position... the metal throughout the room was a cobalt grey darted with coppery metalic rust. Behind the dividing wall existed a much different environment.

  
  


It was a white room. Sterile and desolate of clutter and hanging cables. Protruding from the ceramic white tiles of the walls and floor hung only one console that stuck out with a soft steel grey. It was large and rectangular with a keypad in the center most portion accompanied by a large black monitor. And in the center of the room stood Datamon....

  
  


He was cold and menacing as his one organic eye peered outward over the room from it's place behind the metalic sparkplug-like shell. The eye was a muddy brown pupil isolated within a sickening white eye. The flesh around that one eye was red and pink with seeming raw flesh. It repulsed the stomach as it stared outward as a hated testament to the digimon's organic core...

  
  


He looked on with a sneer to the large glass core of the room... a cylinder pod with a lense focused to the ceiling. Directly above it, hanging over head stood a similar lense with a protective shell covering. The shielding to this second optic lense which would lead to the focusing "eyes" outside was now open.. From its' deep red pupil it gleamed with daylight...

  
  


Suddenly the room shook violently as the floor of the non shielded room burst outward as tin-foil. It screamed as the steel wrenched outward in a horrendous cry...the digimon scurried to the window as he stared out over the shredded floor... from the hole, war greymon slowly rose upward... his claws glistened in the dim light. Next to rise from the black abyss was phoenixmon. Who screeched as an eagle as she took perch upon a twisted segment of the large room...from her back the digidestined leapt forth onto the cold steel floor. One by one they landed with a metalic thud as they surveyed the room.

  
  


Datamon paled as he recognized them... he knew the young boy who quickly scurried to the door and began the task of disabling the lock... izzy... the young man was a fellow techno genius... Datamon knew that this boy would be able to bypass that numeric lock within no more then a minutes time... yet that wasn't what frightened him.......

  
  


There was only one digidestined he had learned to fear... it was a unique experience to be murdered and recall your assassin... tai.... the leader of the digidestined..... he had murdered Datamon in cold blood... from the organic side of his mind Datamon knew that tai was able to kill him again... he recalled with perfect clarity the sensation of being ripped in two by a great heaving wrenching pull of those hands.... those murdering hands.... Datamon was a champion digimon... a powerful fighter.. Yet he remained petrified as he watched tai leap from the firebird's back. Those two dark eyes never once left his... they were as ice... cold and murderous...

  
  


Datamon trembled as he surveyed tai again... he was petrified beyond thought as he watched tai begin to walk to him.... he could attack... his weaponry was functional... yet it takes a clear mind to command the body..... he was unable to move.....

  
  
  
  


Fear.... it was absurd that a mechanical digimon could know the cold sweat that came with terror... he did fear tai... it was for this reason that he had began to work on the great organic purge in the first place... he had to purge this side of nature from existence... it was worse then anything he knew... the weakness of the flesh... Datamon was driven slowly insane by the stench of organic from his own body.... he had to save the digital world from this atrocity... he had to burn away the savage nature of the animal digimon and the tropical plant life.. He would burn it all away... leaving behind the true core of the digital world... a cold metalic core....

  
  
  
  


"Ha... fools... you are too late... this world is mine now... the countdown has begun... nothing can stop the organic purge!" he screamed into the air.

  
  


"Izzy... we need to get that door open..." matt yelled over the steadily increasing roar of mechanical devices as they showered sparks like rain.

  
  


The tower shook as izzy remained crouched to the key panel he had attached his laptop to the circuit board and was now frantically typing lines of code. The end was at hand.. The pillar of energy was still swirling as a great hurricane outside the almost dead tower.... Datamon stared apprehensively as he watched the door begin to creep open....

  
  


"There!" izzy yelled triumphantly as the large steel door shot open with a whoosh of hydraulics.

  
  


The second the door was open tai flew through its' threshold. His eyes gleamed with hatred as he recalled the events of their previous encounter... Sora.... he had tried to kill her... he had tried to steal away the most precious life that ever was... his life was a waste... he deserved to die... he was evil... a monster... tai was nearly aware of his actions as he leapt from the path of Datamon's virus missiles. They flew at an incredible arc and collided with the wall in a puff of flame and smoke.. The wall remained without a blemish... as testament to its heavy shielding.

  
  


Tai moved as an animal as he leapt upon the digimon. He was as a great demon with his fighting. He grabbed the digimon by his tentacle-like arm. He swung the frozen virus digimon as a flailing ball and chain. With a heave of his muscles tai swung the frozen adversary backwards into the cold steel floor. There was a shower of glass and sparks as his shell of steel split almost in half. The human boy swung around and prepared to crush him under his long muscular leg. Yet he paused as he, for the first time, looked upon his handiwork. Datamon hung on the ground pathetically as his serpent like cable legs were hanging lifelessly... the glass cylinder tube of his head was shattered, exposing his silicon chip brain. He was bleeding.... the organic side of him was shuddering in agony as a small tributary of sickly brown fluid drained from his bottom jaw. It was a mixture of oil and blood as best tai could tell.... yet as tai watched the digimon shudder on the ground and desperately try to mouth out "mercy" he felt no desire to kill him...

  
  


Datamon had tried to kill Sora... for that reason tai decided he should live just a little longer so he could milk the suffering and pain of his terminal wounds until death himself took mercy upon the evil digimon.... mercy didn't exist to those who would try to hurt Sora......

  
  


Sora stood at the threshold to the room looking at tai with an emotionless face... tai recoiled from her beautiful eyes... he was a monster..... a murderer... she wouldn't have done this... even to Datamon...

  
  


The others stood aghast at tai's actions as they had years ago when Datamon was killed for the first time.... he was once again fearful of their opinions of him... he had cried the night of his first kill for the fact that he would never be seen as a friend to them.... he was not however remorseful to his actions...

  
  


"Guys this is bad!" izzy's shrill voice cut the thick silence as all eyes fell upon where he was frantically working on the console....

  
  


"Datamon wasn't lying..... the countdown is only minutes away from reaching zero...."

  
  


"Shut it down izzy!" joe yelled

  
  


"Impossible... the reactor have reached the critical point.... the pulse is going to happen regardless of what I do.... but I have a plan.... 

  
  


This room is shielded to the blast... we can activate that shielding for the optic mirror up there. The plasma will come out in a luminous form, so theoretically by closing off this mirror we would turn the plasma back on itself... causing the pulse to fade away safely....."

  
  


"Does that come in English?" Mimi asked with a dazed expression on her face.

  
  


"Awe dammit, it sounds like he knows what he's doing....." matt growled as he lead the others out of the room. Back behind the armored window.

  
  


"What's the catch?....." tai asked as he eyed izzy skeptically.

  
  


He sighed sadly.

  
  


"The door can be sealed only from the inside..... I'll have to stay inside the room to seal the blast door... if the door isn't latched, the plasma will leak out and the purge will occur.... I'll die...." he replied soberly.

  
  


The others gasped as they stepped forward to argue izzy's sacrifice.

  
  


"There must be another way!"

  
  


"No... there isn't..."

  
  


Tai spoke softly as he walked izzy to the door. The young man was so brave... he didn't even

put thought to his own mortality... he was willing to give it up for the others.

  
  


"Tai..... you taught me a lot about courage.... thank you."

  
  


"Izz... you don't have to do this...." tai spoke sadly as he lay his hand on his friend's shoulder.

  
  


"Tai... you said yourself that there are things worth dying for... for the first time in my life I have friends.. Real people... not computers... I know I seem so isolated from you all but I understood what you meant when you said we should only do this if we love something... 

  
  


Well I do love something now.... you all.....

  
  


You're my family. For the first time I have people I love enough to give up everything for.

So for the first time... I have family.... thank you Taichi.... you taught me that."

  
  


Tai found words hard to summon as he looked back to the others... there were tears in their eyes as they looked to koshiro sadly.

  
  


"Izzy.... I'm so sorry" tai said softly as he took izzy's hand in a firm handshake.

  
  


"Tai... I told you... I'm ok... I'm not afraid"

  
  


"Not for that....."

  
  


"Huh?"

  
  


"For this!"

  
  


As tai spoke he drove his free hand hard into izzy's stomach. The young boy gasped as his lungs were emptied of air. He whimpered as he slumped to the ground at tai's feet. They stood shocked at tai's sudden actions as he tossed izzy at their feet where he wheezed painfully.

  
  


Tai leapt throughout the doorway, and as he cleared it his hand punched the locking mechanism. The door slammed shut tightly as its' bolt clanked loudly as it slid into place. Tai walked to the console and began his work. He was oblivious to their cries as he began to type in commands.

  
  


"Close vents.... check.....

  
  


Pressure seal locking apparatus.... check....

  
  


close and disable optic lense... check...."

  
  


With a metalic creak the red lense vanished behind a thick armor shielding. Several red lights began to flash a warning that tai simply ignored... he glanced over to Datamon who was snarling at the young man. They would die together this time.....

  
  


He walked over to the glass where he stood face to face with the digidestined one final time. They looked at him with pain and question in their tear soaked eyes.. Tai smiled warmly at them.

  
  


"I'm proud of you all......

  
  


Izzy... you're my family too...." he said as he stared at the hurt eyes of his friend.

  
  


He looked down to Kari who was screaming with sorrow as she cried pitifully against the cold glass. tai looked to his sister sadly as he touched the glass where her cheek was pressed.

He wanted to hold her so badly... to stop her from feeling this pain.

  
  


"Kari... you know I love you... and I hope you'll be able to understand why I do what I do now. Kar... you need to be strong. I know you can be a big girl for me... so please... know I love you and I'll always be with you." he tried to comfort her as best he could from behind the thick glass. Much to his surprise it was TK who took her into his arms and held her as she wept.

  
  


He looked up to Sora who stood at the glass with watery eyes as she looked at him.. He felt as though his heart were about to shatter as she sniffled lightly. She was so beautiful..... and tai ached to hold her... to comfort her... to protect her from this pain....

  
  


She found it so hard to say one small word as she looked into his deep loving eyes.

  
  
  
  


"Why?"......

  
  
  
  


He paused

  
  


"For you Sora... what boy could allow himself to loose the opportunity to give the world to the girl he loves?" tai said as he pressed his hand to where hers strained against the glass.

  
  


"Taichi... no... " she whispered as tears began to fall freely from her soft crimson eyes...

  
  


"I love you Sora.... I have always loved you...." he cried as for the first time in years he had allowed tears to come.

  
  


"Damn you tai!!! How could you!?!?" she screamed out as she pounded her fist against the glass wall.

  
  


"Sora... this is just meant to be... I'm ok..... please Sora... don't hate me..." he whispered sadly.

  
  


She paused as she tried to stroke his face... she had never wanted to touch him more then at that moment where fate had decreed that they would never touch again. She felt her heart break as she struggled to remain on her feet. Her body was begging to break down and sob... yet seconds were precious now.... she had waited a lifetime to say this... she could wait no longer...

  
  


"Taichi Kamiya... I love you with all my heart... it has always been you... I have always loved you.. I could never hate you..." tai's eyes shimmered with love as he listened to the words he had dreamed of hearing for years.

  
  


It was as though the world didn't matter now.... they were unaware of the eyes of their friends.... they were unaware of matt as he stepped back into the shadows of the dying complex... sparks rained down from overhead around Sora. It was as though the glass were gone... Sora softly leaned forward and kissed him... he did the same as their hands remained pressed to one another. The kiss was all consuming even though it was born of sorrow greater then the heavens or earth combined.... emotion poured through the glass as though it were not even there... it was their first kiss... even though it really wasn't.... their eyes closed as they imagined it was the other in their arms... the room began to fill with light...

  
  


They parted sadly as tai looked around... it was starting...

  
  


"Oh god Sora.... there isn't enough time......

  
  


I love you... I'll always be with you... no matter what happens I'll be inside here..." he pressed his free hand to her heart.

  
  


"Tai...." she whimpered as the pure white light grew brighter....

  
  


"Sora......"

  
  
  
  


the room began to fill with pure snowy white light... the plasma was beautiful... it glowed as pure white fire... fire which didn't burn.... tai's eyes remained fixed on Sora's. She longed for the time she had missed with him.... the chances to be held by her one true love were lost.... moments she could have savored...... now.... just a dream. Her hand pressed against the glass so tightly that she swore she could feel his hand close over hers.

  
  


"Oh Sora... the light.... it's so beautiful..... Oh god Sora... it's beautiful...." he whispered as the light engulfed him within itself. Sora let her eyes slip shut as she whispered a soft goodbye to him.... the last words he said hung in her mind... they were spoken so softly... no louder then a whisper.... "I'll love you forever.. My angel... my love... my Sora....."

  
  


"Good bye.... my Taichi..."

  
  


******************

  
  
  
  


izzy worked slower with the keys as he proceeded to unlock the blast door.... the window had fogged over with steam from the dying machine. The threat was over now... both of the twin worlds were spared from annihilation... there was a strange calm over the Digiworld... all digimon... virus, data, and vaccine stood together at the cliffy plateau united as family in their sorrow. Virus didn't kill... data didn't run... vaccine didn't battle... yet all of the three classes cried. The word of the great sacrifice had spread throughout the Digiworld at unheard of speed... only hours after the death of Taichi half the population of the digital world came to honor him... he had saved them all.... and as the digidestined looked out from the gaping hole in the tower of sorrow they found now solace from the tribute. More digimon appeared with each moment... and as they shuffled along to take their place amidst the congregation they walked softly... and slower... head bowed in grief....

  
  


Izzy wanted to cry as he hit the final key on his laptop... with a rush of hydraulics the door gracefully slid open. As it came unlatched soft mist of diffused plasma whooshed outward.. It danced softly in the still air as it faded away as a specter... the mist was cool, like the spray of the ocean... yet Sora loved the ocean... and hated all that this mist represented... it was once a force that could destroy worlds... it was once a force that could kill... it was once the force that took tai from her...

  
  


They entered... and as they did they expected to see their leader standing there... amidst the mist with that same lopsided grin he always used... yet as they looked around they saw no trace of him.. They saw only the same grey mist as it vanished in a swirling motion.

  
  
  
  


Joe walked over to a figure who lay dead upon the ground... he hung there lifelessly... with a light nudge of the foot joe pushed him over...

Datamon slumped over. His jaws hung open widely as he stared back at the young man. He had the look of death upon him... his arms and face were slack... he looked like a mechanical apparatus ripped from its housing... he stared up at joe with the same grotesqueness as the stare of a corpse... Datamon was purged... were once he had one large organic eye... now there was a vacant socket of wire and techno matter....

  
  


Joe looked down on him with a sudden burst of rage as he slammed the heel of his foot through Datamon's brittle shell. The digimon split open as joe continued to pummel him with his foot. He howled in rage as he smashed every last trace of resemblance from the thing's shell.. Joe wanted to be a doctor.... a healer.... a saver of life... this digimon was a killer... the exact opposite of all he stood for. The others gradually tried to calm him down. Yet a glance to Sora silenced them all... even joe...

  
  


She stood frozen, eyes fixed on the floor near the window. She was more a ghost then a girl as she stared blankly at what the fog veiled... her eyes hung low as she remained silently staring into the mist... with slow movements she knelt...

  
  


Sitting lifelessly atop the cold steel floor sat all that remained of her true love... his cloths sat there in a position that would animate the final pose of Taichi as he faded away into the light. His shirt and pants and other clots were fine... not a singe blemished their neatness. The blue shirt lay upon the ground in the same condition in which tai had worn it... Sora gasped lightly... she ran her fingers over where once tai's heart had beat. She looked down sadly as she continued to survey every article of clothing from the t-shirt to the sneakers... yet as she daintily lifted the shimmering pair of goggles she broke down.... she screamed in anguish as she threw herself atop the cloths. She held them to her chest and tried to rock them as she would a sickly infant... they smelled of tai... his scent... unique only to him... Sora breathed in from the shirt as she forced her tear soaked eyes shut.. It was almost as though he were there.... she could almost feel his breath against her as she nuzzled the fabric as if it were really him and not some cloths.

  
  


Her eyes looked down to the floor and suddenly caught a faint glimmer of light... she blinked away the tears as best she could so she could... there it sat atop the cold ground... a ring.... tai had worn this ring since he came to this world... it was hidden within his glove at all times... yet he wore it.... it was his... simple and yet elegant silver...

  
  


She looked to her finger sadly as she removed a ring of her own... matt had given her a promise ring once... and now... she could no longer honor that promise... she could never love him like she had loved Taichi.... and as matt watched with an icy gaze she replaced his ring for Taichi's... he had lost to a ghost.... a specter who was no longer even alive.... with a hateful expression upon his face yamato Ishida turned away and departed..... she had married into the grave as she put that thing on her finger... it too was now a promise ring... a promise Sora made to heaven and hell and whatever else may exist between: she would love only Taichi for the rest of her life. Him and no other......

  
  


******************

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


it was said that after Taichi's great sacrifice all digimon cried with sorrow. All virus, data, and vaccine mourned as one... and their tears intermingled and swelled as a sea. The tears filled the vast canyon where Datamon's spire had sat... the waters engulfed the tower within themselves, and soon were once there had been a great valley of death.... now there stood a vast lake of tears and sorrow. The waters of the lake were calm and silent as they remained a prison to Datamon's creation.. A grave of sapphire water where Taichi's memory would be forever held...

  
  


They had taken the great stone where Taichi had once stood. Where he had chosen to fight for the lives of digimon he didn't know... where he had decided to give his life for those who would call him foe... they had taken this marble stone and placed it at the water's edge upon a slight peninsula of Stoney earth.. Upon the face of this bolder they emblazoned a brilliant sun... setting behind the horizon....

  
  


This place would come to be known as Tear's point... a holy place of refuge from evil. No digimon or human would ever break the solemn vow by shedding blood here.... this was a sanctuary to life... and the shrine to the truest of heros....

  
  
  
  


******************

  
  


Sora stood at the rock of tear's pont with a sad expression... she had come here often... yet now it was time for the digidestined to continue their quest... and it was Sora's turn to lead them...

She understood Taichi now... the conflict only he knew.... for as a woman all she wanted to do was weep at this monument.... yet as a leader she could not.....

  
  


With a sorrowful heart she reached into her bag... and withdrew the object.

  
  


The sun was setting now... they would have to leave to fight the dark masters in the morning..... she breathed in the night air with a deep and painful breath. She looked down to her hand where she clutched the goggles.. With a single tear in her eye she reached down and kissed them softly. Then with one great heave she hurled them out into the air... they flew far... and with a soft decent they landed with a splash in the water... she watched as they sank away into the murky depths of the lake....

  
  


"Taichi... I love you..... and I promise that I'll be with you as soon as I can... but for now I am needed.... farewell my love..." she whispered as she turned away and vanished into the night air... leaving her one true love behind to wait for her........

  
  
  
  


**A hero is alone....**

**In the moment of truth and destiny we each face a test...**

**The test will never come as we expect it.. In timing and in form it will be a mystery to us...**

**This one moment forever proves our character..**

**Will we be heros? Or will we be cowards?**

**Will we go in battle? Or in silence?**

**Will our name be spoken with regard? Or with shame?**

  
  


**The question we each must face is a simple one...**

**Will we be ready?**

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_Not The End......_**

  
  
  
  


   [1]: mailto:logan91235@aol.com



	2. Genesis 2

Disclaimer: I don't own tai or Sora or ken or anyone else.. I wish I did though... ^_^ this show would be soooo taiora it is not even funny... ok genesis chapter 2... I had a lot I needed to say this chapter, so it is a bit dull. Hopefully you will be able to stay awake and not be confused here... don't judge me by this chapter, because I promise they will be better. There is no taiora this part, but there will be very soon.... mail me at [logan91235@aol.com][1]

  
  
  
  


**_Genesis_**__

**2**

  
  


by Logan

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**"Darkened Paths"**

  
  
  
  
  
  


The first of the digital wars had ended with the success of the digidestined. They had overcome the evils that plagued the digital world and the sorrows which tainted their memories. Sora had led them.... she had changed after Taichi's death... grown stronger... much as Taichi had grown a armor around his heart now Sora was the figure of strength.. 

  
  


Sora had always been a tender and loving girl in all respects of the word. Yet now as leader she had seemingly severed that side to her heart. Taichi had chosen his successor well... for though Sora was still the same embodiment of love as she had once been.. She was now a leader... a powerful fighter who could understand warfare as once her love had been capable of, before he died...

  
  


Yet Sora's armor was as a shield.. Impenetrable, yet something held aloft, and then lowered in times of peace... or in times of solitude... Sora had kept her vow to Taichi for three years now... yet every night as she watched over them her eyes filled with tears and she mourned him as if he had only recently been lost. She kept this hidden from the destined... she had learned from Taichi that weakness perceived in any form would bring about questioning and doubt in your capacity to lead... her position was never as questioned as his had been... partly because there had been only one among them that had a thirst for power...

  
  


Yamato had left... it had been the day after tai's death... he had made his play to take his place as leader of the digidestined... yet what he never expected what happened...

  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  


the sun had now faded away into the soft embrace of dusk. The sky radiated with a soft purple glow as the sky blossomed as a flower would open its' petals to the light of day. It was a breathtaking beauty as the digidestined sat upon the cold earth looking out over the lake. The waters of the lake of sorrow mirrored the sky's radiance with an eerie similarity found in the threshold of a distorted fun house mirror. The colors were there.... each captured within the still water... yet somehow the translucent surface captured the darkness within each color... if violet were capable of emotion, this lake would grant the image of pain and loneliness within the aspect of the cheerful color...

  
  


The digidestined sat on the elevated peninsula of tear's point.. They were silent as they sat there...Kari now slept within the young TK's arms... his heart was aching just as theirs were... yet he had to be strong for Kari.... somehow within he knew that she needed him to be strong.. He was needed to stroke her hair as she slept within his weak childlike arms.. Those arms could do little to defend her... but somehow they gave a sense of warmth and protection as they encircled her. It was a strange feeling.... but TK felt as though his arms were too weak for her.. And as he felt her soft breath against his neck he felt a need to grow stronger... she needed a protector now that her brother was gone.. And as TK looked at her sleeping face he decided he was up for the job.

  
  


The silence was not an awkward one... it was a silence born of lack of words... for what could be said? Sora rested against a large and overhanging tree.. In her arms she held tai's cloths... it was a sense of comfort to be close to him like that.. To close your eyes and smell the soft and intoxicating aroma of him... it gave her the sense that he was there with her now...

  
  


They had made a fire... it was small, yet it gave some warmth to those who felt they needed to be warmer... it wasn't cold here at night... yet there was a coldness... it swelled around them as a icy specter... it grabbed and clawed at them as cold as the grave.

  
  


There was much on their minds that night... the weight of tai's absence was still fully upon them.. And to add to their distress they had lost another today...

  
  


Matt.... he had always worked to his own agenda.. Yet now he was gone for good. He had chosen to leave them all now. Many things were the cause of this: to what extent he could, he loved Sora... though matt was no tai in his selfless love for her, he did care that she had chosen another boy over himself. Tai could still haunt him within Sora's eyes.. She mourned him so deeply that matt questioned if she would shed those tears for him.

  
  


The final straw was the leadership of the digidestined... he had always wanted the position, yet as his only rival was now gone he was denied once again. He had lost to her.... the insult was staggering that she had been chosen in his place... the digidestined had decided to have a democratic election to choose who would fill tai's role.... Sora was chosen in a unanimous vote... even his own brother had chosen to follow Sora... matt's pride was delivered a mortal blow as Sora became leader...

  
  


He looked at them with an icy expression. He was enraged by his betrayal. TK looked away from his gaze sadly. He could not relent on his judgement... but he didn't want to see the look on his brother's face. Sora looked at him sadly for a moment, yet as you could dawn a mask to hide your face she drew up her shield and looked at him with question as to his actions... he looked at her with icy hatred... and as he stared into her fiery eyes he mouthed out "you'll regret this...." Sora stood unimpressed as Taichi had once done. Matt recoiled lightly at the expression...

  
  


It was as though Taichi were resurrected within Sora. They both had the same look in the eyes...Sora had a radiance about her never before witnessed by matt. She looked capable of the job... and capable of defending the position she was elected to. Those eyes were of molten fire as she stared coldly into matt's eyes. She was chosen by Taichi... he had given her the codes to augumon... it burned matt that tai had shunned him once again.

  
  


Matt had simply turned and left. He said no goodbyes or even acknowledged his brother as the young boy stood with teary eyes. Gabumon had followed matt out of loyalty to his master yet he had done so with a heavy heart, for he knew this would be the last time he saw the others as friends... Sora had never hated before... yet she did now... he had abandoned them once again... he had deserted his brother once again... Sora had began to despise matt's selfishness...

  
  
  
  


They looked to TK who surprisingly was no longer crying. Instead they saw something never before witnessed in the young child's eyes. Those sapphire eyes of his were darkened, and held in a fearful scowl. He looked to his brother not with love, but with disdain... TK had always loved his brother yet he had also always known that he was digidestined... part of a family... and family didn't abandon one another in their darkest hour... so by analyzing matt's actions he came to the conclusion that matt was not family... his eyes filled with tears of anger as he watched his brother vanish into the blanket of trees... he vowed on that day that he would never desert them... that they were his family as Taichi had observed... and if matt was going to be a problem.... he would be TK's enemy....

  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  


The digidestined continued to fight. And as the digital war continued to rage Sora led them... in the tradition of Taichi she had lead them as a warrior. It took effort.. But she was soon able to defend herself in combat. She remembered Taichi.... how he fought with all his heart... now it was Sora's turn to sacrifice innocence for victory.. She had made the sacrifice without question....

  
  


Yet there are battles where sacrifice does nothing to stop the end result. This was the case of the second digital war....

  
  


He came to the digital world as a monster... he was cruel... and vicious as he tortured the digital world with whip in hand. They called him the digital emperor.. A young man with a dream of conquest over this world. He was powerful... within days he had created an army of digital slaves... soon the blackened spires covered the digital world as black locusts. They turned the digital world evil as a great black tide washed over the land and swallowed up the digimon.

  
  


The digidestined were called back to the digital wars only to find they were out matched. The emperor had taken file island... he had began to amass an army far greater then the digidestined could match. It was as though the destined were the last remnants of the digital world... with each battle they won more land was taken out from under them... they were strong... yet they were outmatched...

  
  


It was then that Sora made the hardest decision of her life.... the Digiworld was conquered... the hellish reality had come to pass... they had lost.... Sora stood at the rock of tear's point with a solemn expression... they were too weak... matt was an enemy... tai was dead.... and as she looked out over the horizon her heart sank at the vague visage of blackened spires in the distance... she had one weapon left.... and she shuddered at the idea of using this demonic tool.... the Digiworld was under his control.. Good digimon were now evil....

  
  


The words of Leomon hung heavily in her mind... "we would rather die... then serve him...." that had been the mighty warrior's last words before he died in her arms... Leomon was a Nobel friend and a gallant warrior... he didn't deserve to die like this... Yet his words echoed in her mind...

It was those words that taught Sora the true means of sacrifice... tai had taught her this lesson as well... but he had taught her to sacrifice life for life.... what Leomon was trying to teach her was a different sacrifice... soul... for death....

  
  


She would sell her soul for victory over ken... she would unite all digimon in death... for death was above slavery... but this act would damn her.... she wanted death for herself... to be united with Taichi in heaven... but if she did this she would spend eternity in hell....

  
  


She decided it was something she had to do.... to loose Taichi forever... but save these digimon from slavery.... Sora ordered the digidestined to flee the digital world and return to earth.... her plan was one that she feared with all her heart... she would bring about Armageddon to stop the emperor's siege....

  
  


That is why she had come to Tear's point.... to resurrect the greatest weapon ever made... to bring forth purification to the digital world... to kill ken... the evil digimon slaves... and herself... she could evoke the breath of god... and from that breath she could destroy all that was evil.... she had came here for Datamon's weapon... the tower...

  
  


It slept there... under the glassy black waters... like some ancient demon locked away in a dank crypt. This demon was meant to never be reborn to the world... for it was a creature of purest evil... a creature that was meant to lay within that crypt of water for all eternity. And Sora was the fool who would unleash this metalic devil back to the world...

  
  
  
  


She stood before the stone... it looked as it had when it had first been laid here. It gave a sense of hope and strength to Sora as she looked down on the emblazoned sun... it had been too long since she had visited this monument. And despite her great sorrow at her failure as a leader she took comfort in being close to tai again.

  
  


Her eyes turned to steel as she realized that it was time she got this over with... she didn't like the idea of what she was doing.... but this must be done... ken wouldn't stop at the digital world.... earth was within his grasp, for he now had an army of demons who he could call upon.... Sora paused at the horrific idea... he must be stopped...

  
  


She reached to her belt and withdrew the digivice... she wasn't completely sure this would work... but it was all she could think to do... Taichi was the key here... perhaps his digivice could serve as a key to annihilation.... the device began to glow brightly with golden light as she drew closer to the symbol.... in tern the setting sun upon the rock began to illuminate with golds also... her eyes slipped shut as she focused on the key.... 

  
  


The earth began to rumble as the symbol began to burn with golden fire. The digivice was trembling in her hands as she looked to the lake.... the waters began to grow violent as the tides shifted erratically... from the center of the lake it came... it was no more then a speck of silver against the black nightly water.... but it grew upward from the waters as a great tree would grow from the warm earth. It was terrifying to witness as the great demonic tower rose up into the heavens from the sea.. It was as a great black creature against the night sky... it was an instrument of death... and it looked the part... it had not changed in all the years since Sora had last seen it.... it still loomed upward into the heavens with the same grotesque expression upon it's twisted and gnarled form.

  
  


She had only to enter now... once inside she could activate the countdown... she chuckled grimly at how unprepared the emperor was... he was evil... but he was a fool to think he was the most evil thing this world had seen... Sora would educate him to the true atrocities mankind is capable of unleashing...

  
  
  
  


"Sora..." she froze as she heard a voice come softly from behind her.

  
  


She turned slowly only to find Takeru standing before her with a sad look on his strong features.. He had matured much over the last few years... though he was still young he gave the impression of age.. He was stronger now... he bore a set of strong muscular arms now to match the rest of his lean, athletic frame. His hair was longer now... yet his eyes had remained constant... they still glimmered of youthful innocence... despite the fact that those eyes had seen war... they had witnessed death and hell... and sadly TK himself had killed in the name of the destined... yet though his hands may be stained of blood his eyes were still the same beautiful blue that shimmered with hope...

  
  


"TK... I ordered the digidestined to return to earth.... what are you doing here?" she said softly in a shamed voice.. She knew what he would say at what he was seeing... Sora... committing genocide....

  
  


"Consider it a judgement call.... Sora... you can't be thinking...."

  
  


"What if I am! TK he has to be stopped..."

  
  


"And we will... but killing everyone won't do it..." he said softly as he drew nearer.

  
  


"TK... sometimes leaders have to make sacrifices to win.... Taichi knew that...."

  
  


"Sora... tai gave his life so that we could live... What you are talking about is mass murder...."

  
  
  
  


Sora looked down to the darkened earth underfoot... her mind ached with longing. She was tired of hatred and war... you cannot participate in war without becoming a part of it. Hatred is like the ocean... the second you dive into it, you become a part of it... just another animal swimming in the salty water... Sora hated war... but she could understand it.... yet this plan was something she had an ulterior motive for... something she had hidden from them... something she had hidden from herself.... she wanted to die.... she longed for death.. It meant a lot to her to stop the war... to cast away from death.. And maybe get a chance to be with tai again.... it was amazing... he had been gone for years... yet he was still such a part of her life...

  
  


"Sora... you're our leader... I would follow you into hell if you thought it was necessary. We all would... Sora we know how hard it is for you to lead us... but we all have faith in you. Just like tai had faith in you.. War-greymon is one of the most powerful digimon we have ever encountered... tai gave him to you for a reason... sure he loved you.. But he knew that he could trust you with such a power... just like he trusted you with the key to this.." TK motioned to the blackened tower which hung there in the water, an island to itself. 

  
  


Tears leaked from her eyes.

  
  


"I miss him so much...." she sobbed as TK took her in her arms as a brother and stroked her hair. TK had lost a brother.. But gained a sister... it was strange that for so long he had been the one she comforted as mother. Yet now it was his turn to comfort her in her time of need.

  
  


"Tai would have known what to do... he was so good at this... do you remember how tai used to talk? How he could speak to us, and no matter how sad, or lonely, or homesick we were.. He could always make us feel better. He was such a sweet boy... he should have gotten the crest of love instead of me.. He loved us all like a family.. He protected us all his life... and if he had been leading us now.... we wouldn't have lost the digital world...."

  
  


"Sora.. Who are we to know that.. Maybe things would have been different. But maybe not... Sora, tai was a great leader. But so are you... we all believe in you. Tai chose well when he chose you... you are a great leader. Matt... he left us at the first sign of hardship.. He has always been out to take care of himself. A leader can't do that... you have put us before yourself at every junction... Sora.. We can win... but we can't win like this... Sora... we'll follow you if you choose this method of stopping ken... but I just need to ask you one thing first..." he paused

  
  


"Would tai be proud of you for this?"

  
  
  
  


Sora paused momentarily as she turned her gaze back to the tower... it glowed with the same menacing appeal as it had on the first day Sora had beheld its venomous aspect. Sora shook her head lightly as she slowly made her way to the glowing emblem of the sun. she drew her hand to it, and with a gesture of her hand over the emblem, its light faded away to the same dark stone as it had always been. As the light faded the spire sank like a stone back into the cool clean waters of tear's point. It vanished once more into the peaceful prison of the water. They watched as the very tip of the demonic relic vanished away into nothing. Sora turned to TK who smiled a light grin, as to stress that she had made the right decision.

  
  


"If you two are done, we're ready to go home." a tender voice came from behind them. Sora turned to see the digidestined standing behind her, with Kari at the front. 

  
  


Kari was now older.. She had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her hair was long, it stretched down to her shoulders, where it broke away into soft brown tributaries. Down the center of her front bangs however her hair had turned a silverish white. The power Kari had within her had blossomed greatly during the digital wars. She possessed the power of light... it was a great force she carried within herself. The power became a constant within her body, as she could no longer shut it off within herself. Her hair had changed lightly as result of the intense energy she possessed. She spoke in a way that seemed eerie now... she had been possessed by the guardians of light before.. Yet now it was as though she were constantly between the form of the protector of light and the young teenage girl. Her voice was soft, and yet it possessed a subtle power, much as the wind does as a gentle breeze can herald the coming of the greatest hurricane. She had matured physically slightly, which was not un-noticed by the Takeru. She wore a simple white strap tanktop and jeans. Yet as TK had observed she was radiant in even the simplest of garments.

  
  


Kari and TK had a story of their own now... as the digidestined fought back the emperor they were finally able to identify what it was about Kari that gave her this strange power. It was legendary, yet in the digital world much was legendary. She was a human child born into what was known as the Order of Light.... defenders against evil... Kari was still young, and had not yet fully mastered her gifts, but from what she had demonstrated... she was capable of much. 

  
  


It was prophesied that there would be a human girl born with the gift. Her origins would stem from the digital world itself, and she would be bound by blood to one who would posses a darker gift. She was destined to be one of the chosen children... more over, she was destined to be a sorceress of light.... one of the more mythical forces of the digital world, yet also a force bathed in mystery for no one truly knew what the sorceress was.... however it did come into their knowledge that she had another soul who was bound to hers, not in blood, but in love. A knight... 

  
  


TK wasn't quite sure how to handle the fact that he had been cast into this role... that he himself was destined from birth to be at her side, and to defend her... yet despite the shock, it became clear that he was this knight, for he had a need to protect her... to defend her... and much to his astonishment, he was bound to her... by love.....

  
  
  
  


Sora looked over the faces of her friends... they had all disobeyed her... each knew what she had in mind and each had chosen to stand by her side as she made this choice... she had never truly known what it had felt like to be tai before... to stand before them and see them for who they were... for what they were... she tried to think of a word capable of portraying the loyalty and love between them all... she stopped at the words of izzy, spoken so long ago... "family"

  
  


she walked to the stone of Tear's point solemnly. She turned to face them once more as their leader. Yet as she spoke she felt something fill her that she had not felt for so very long... a presence... a strength... Taichi.... she spoke now with his words joined to her own... it was as though the link had been rekindled somehow... death could not break that bond... it transcended life and death together....

  
  


"Digidestined..... it weighs heavily on my heart for what I am about to say to you all... I take no pleasure in this....

  
  
  
  


We were sent to this world to defend it against evil... and on many occasions we have done that, yet now we find ourselves in a war we have lost... I take full blame for our failure, and I mourn the loss of life that the emperor has wreaked upon us... upon this world....

  
  


We have faced a foe who out matches us in numbers only... we are stronger then him... yet he outnumbers us.... he treats digimon as slaves.... he holds no regard for their lives..... we do...

We respect and love the digimon as equals... not slaves... for this reason we are better then him...

  
  


We have lost this war... and now with a heavy heart we must escape, back to the human world... but know this... We retreat, yet we do not run... this is a tactical action and not a end..." Sora paused as her eyes grew angry...

  
  


"He kills and tortures... he destroys lives and wreaks havoc across this world... we are no match for him now, but mark my words we shall be! His crimes are inexcusable, and for them he shall pay! We are weak now, yet we will be strong... though we stand here now, defeated in the dark of night. There shall come a dawn, no night is eternal... and his reign shall not be either... there shall be a great, burning dawn! And we will make him pay for what he has done...

  
  


Mark my words digidestined.... the dawn is coming....." 

  
  


they stood before Sora in amazement. She glowed as only one had before her... her voice now radiated with strength and courage... she stood before them as a true leader. And for the first time there was no question that this night of evils would end. Sora's hair whipped violently in the wind as her eyes radiated as burning coals radiate in the darkest nights... she was the leader of the digidestined... and she was now ready to bring forth a war.. The likes of which was never before seen....

  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  


in the years after the great digital wars the digital world was conquered. The emperor dominated the shadow world, and from this foothold he did the inexcusable... he marched on earth... the world was no match for the digital armies... They were stronger and faster then any human was ready for.. With the emperor's planning to guide the fire of war, soon countries fell like domino tiles. Within one year the nations of the earth had toppled. Japan, Europe, Asia, America... they all were ill equipped to deal with this new foe, capable of opening gateways from the digital world into the heart of nations.... his actions were well planned.. Before they knew what happened they were cut off from eachother....

  
  


Nuclear weaponry was useless, for the emperor himself crippled their computer networks.. He had hacked the codes for the atomic warheads, then disabled them. it wasn't long before he had done what had never been done before... he had conquered the earth... the skies were darkened by a swarm of airdramon as he descended from the heavens to them.... the emperor was no more then a boy, yet he was capable of bringing a planet to its knees.... 

  
  


He wore a dark cape as he stood before them... atop the mighty winged dragon he stood before them. his eyes gleamed down over the last leaders of the world with a darkness that chilled the blood... he was tall and imposing.. His black hair danced menacingly in the winds as he gleamed down over them as a dark god would... they were frozen as they surveyed him... he was dressed primarily in blacks, with blues... he wore a uniform of blackened fabric with shimmering gold trim, the trim was ornately done as it gave the impression of regal splendor... the cloak hung over his shoulders as great black wings... it billowed in the wind as a banner... it clawed and flapped as though he was a dark angel with black, shimmering wings that remained animated in flight. At his side he carried a whip of black leather... it shimmered as a serpent's coils at his side. From his polished black boots to his Victorian style uniform..

  
  


He spoke with a low and commanding voice...

  
  


"I will now accept your surrender......"

  
  


One elderly man stepped forward. His voice was in a thick accent as he stood opposingly to him.

  
  


"My people shall never submit to your Tyranni!" he snarled out.

  
  


The emperor smiled softly and stifled a low chuckle.. He grinned down over him with a look of true evil.... he motioned to two of the airdramon at his side... the two dragons seemed to smirk lightly as they shot forward upon him. He was unable to draw enough breath to scream. The serpent digimon snatched him up from where he stood. Then he along with his mate bit into the man. Their jaws were filled with hooked razorblades. And with no more then a light nip they split the man in half then with reptilian gulps swallowed him. The leaders stood aghast at the sudden fatalness of the act. The two dragons gave a reptilian chuckle as they proceeded to nuzzle the other's blood soaked muzzle. Their eyes gleamed of crimson as they took their places back at the emperor's side.

  
  


"I will now accept either your surrenders... or last will and testaments...."

  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  


the emperor stood atop the large building.. He grinned happily down over his world... for it was his now... he had killed thousands within days... cities were reduced to ash as large fire digimon marched forward as a wall of flame. The emperor had heard the cries of the innocent as buildings fell atop them as raining concrete slabs and steel... he felt no pity... they were no more to him then stones upon a path you walk... stones .... who pities the pebble underfoot? For that's all these lesser humans were.. Pebbles... His parents were pebbles... teachers.... faces he had known... just necessary casualties he would rely upon to carve his new world.. He must be feared.... and so he eliminated them...

  
  


The human spirit is the element that has been the cause of all defeats.. Humans are stronger then they look... they are a race of conquerors.. So to defeat them you must break them first... to control a world you must first shatter it..... they say that to make an omelet you must first break eggs... well this is the recipe for world conquest as well... Ken didn't enjoy killing his people, but he did what would be necessary to achieve his goal...

  
  


He looked out over the world before him... he had always known it was his destiny to make this world his own... to purify the evils of the two worlds and make one... to do that he must destroy the human race... he must shatter it as he would a mirror... from the pieces he would build his world... from the ashes of earth... the empire would rise...

  
  
  
  


There were screams.... humans cried out in terror as death took them... they had no chance of defense against this... for in reality they had done nothing... it was all a matter of location... they were in a strategic location... a place that, though minor, could result in a future threat... perhaps this would aid in their acceptance of their death... that it wasn't personal...

  
  


The ground split open as two dark hungry lips... they swallowed buildings and people as though they were morsels... the great heaving crevices would devour thousands... then as lips they would close over the gnarled rocky teeth.. Swallowing the innocent morsels...

  
  


"Run!!! don't look back!" A tall man with dark hair led a small roup of children... their teacher. Within his arms he clutched a young girl who was screaming in pain... her leg lay split, and from the wound crimson tides rained down over the ground as a horrific rain... it was a minor wound.. No threat to her life at least. Yet it also was a dark omen.. She could not run. Had it not been for mr. Fugiama she would have been trampled to death within the stampede of fleeing pedestrians. Her teacher had swooped her up within his arms and ran with her.. Leading a group of students in their escape... He wore a light blue shirt with a dark navy blue tie. Yet the soft blue shirt was now bathed in red from the obvious wound in his side. He was bleeding heavily but he had to save the children. There was a break in the mob, and he lead them to it. At the time his greatest fear would be being trampled in the effort of escape. But as he approached the ruined skyscraper he froze...

  
  


From behind a severed building it came. It's red scaly flesh glowed menacingly in the fires. As it came forth from the wreckage it looked especially evil, moving lightly as a reptilian predator of prehistoric origins... the claws twitched hatefully in anticipation as its two glowing eyes found them. the teacher froze in horror as he got his first glimpse upon the demonic aspect of the tyranomon.... 

  
  


Time moved slowly as the two found eachother eyes. It was then that the teacher realized he was dead. He recalled faces... the faces of his students. He had taught for years and loved each of his children... yet now it was over... with his last effort he spun around and tried in vein to shield the children. It was a heroic act.... and yet a futile act... the tyranomon breathed down upon him with super heated flame... and as they were engulfed within the blaze blast all was over. The fire danced angrily around them and silenced any scream... then as it faded away in the wind all that was left was a pile of ash and bone.... then the mighty fire dragon lumbered off in search of more kindling....

  
  
  
  


Sora stood amidst this horror as a grim spectator.. She walked down the street slowly as a witness to the death around her. The smell of burnt flesh hung heavily in the air as wreaths of black smoke billowed skyward. She was appalled at the carnage.. And as she walked the road she knew all to well she felt dread grow with each soft footfall. She froze before the doorway which now hung in charred detail.. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked upon the sign...

  
  


**_"Takenouchi Flowers"_**__

  
  


the sign hung limply from one chain.. The soft red wood now was charred lightly in several locations.. Sora wanted to scream as she looked upon the ruble that once was her mother's. She could see the beds where once she her mother and Taichi had planted daisies.. They now were broken and burnt... she could see the ruins of their apartment.. Now burned and broken... and from within the pile of splintered wood and crushed brick she saw her mother... or what was left of her mother... she wanted to scream... to cry... to surrender to the anguish... yet as she stared upon the charred remains of her mother no tears could come... from the portals of Sora's soul... her eyes there came something else. Something she had seen before...

  
  


Something she saw in Taichi as the name of Datamon was spoken. It was an expression of hate... low and horrific... Sora had hated that look in him.. It mystified her for so long... she had never known how a sweet face could contort so evilly... until now. She reached to the ground and lifted the remains of the metal pole that had served to hold their sign... she had helped her mother plant this pole in the ground the first day the shop had opened... she looked at it softly with affection...

  
  


Then as she drew it to her lips she kissed her memory of her mother goodbye... she was now alone... then as she cast one final glance to the pole that she had been so proud of she spun around and with a great heaving grunt propelled the pole forward at deadly speed. The spear plunged into the eye of a tyranomon who shrieked in agony before slumping to the ground, it's brain lay impaled as it snapped it's hooked jaws in twitching reaction.. It wriggled upon the ground as it died swiftly... Sora scowled lightly at the creature... she was just like tai now... a fighter.. With a heart hardened by pain she was now leader of the digidestined....

  
  


Her gaze fell upon a wall of smoke which billowed over the street.. It rose up as dark spectral ghosts... she looked to the dark wall of smoke with a certain grim expression.

  
  


"Kill them...." As she spoke the wind changed and revealed the digidestined who stood before her, veiled within the curtain of dark smoke which now blew westward... they looked at her softly.. None of them knew what to say... they all saw her pain at her mother's death... yet sadly the only one of them who had ever been able to know what to say to her in a situation like this now slept within the cool waters of tear's point.

  
  
  
  


TK looked to them. "Come on, you heard the lady!" with that the digidestined vanished into the war. They went forth to fight a fire.. It was a blaze they could never extinguish... yet it was all about the effort now... they would fight this blaze until the flames either died, or consumed them....

  
  


She watched them as they charged off into the war.

  
  


"S...Sora?" came a tattered voice from under a pile of charred remains and piled splintered wood. Sora froze as she looked down in horror at the face which peered up to her from the debris......

  
  


"You?...." she gasped

  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  


ken's dark dream was realized... tapping in upon the vast knowledge he had of coding and digital programming he was able to do the impossible.... by modifying his digivice he was able to create a new program... one capable of merging techno matter with actual matter...

  
  


It was a two step project codename: Genesis....

  
  


It was meant as a new beginning for both of the twin worlds... the digital world was a shadow of the human world, and vice-versa... the genesis program would merge the techno and the organic into one.... Genesis phase one was the merging of the twin worlds... earth to digital... the change would effect no higher life... only the land, sea, and sky would merge... 

  
  


The second phase was labeled impossible... 

  
  


ideally this phase would merge higher life... animals, Plants, digimon and humans.... yet this process proved a futile effort... in the equation there was one problem... the Zero factor... it was the one component of the change that was unpredictable.. All life has something intangible... A pattern of Nero-rhythms, a spark, a soul..... it was the zero factor... all attempts to activate the second phase of the genesis would result in a form of death so horrific that it couldn't be described in words... it would be something akin to having every cell of your body spontaneously burst into flame...

  
  


Though the body itself is made of chemicals, and molecules, and cells. The zero factor can never be duplicated.. It is who we are... it is what we are... it is the one power that was beyond the grasp of the emperor... and it was the key to the greatest power that ever would exist.... life....

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  
  
  


the room was full of technological machinery. One large monitor was mounted to the wall and now glowed faintly with numeric data. From it small tributaries of cable stretched outward as branches from a tree. These cables led to various other computers and terminals which encircled the room . At the far end a vast thrown sat...

  
  


The thrown was of gold. It was carved in horrific detail. It was decadent in its design as it loomed forward in the large circular room as an opposing figure. The air was heavy... It was odorless, yet the still air of the room carried some ominous aura upon its soft currents. The room was strange as it carried the ambiance of old meets new. The walls were of stone, piled atop itself in a manor similar to the ancient castles of old Europe. Yet upon the walls the cables stretched outward as vines would upon such a surface.

  
  
  
  


"Lord... are you certain this is necessary?" 

  
  


"Yes, I am... begin the process" the emperor grinned as he looked over the large monitor from his thrown. The older man bowed respectfully to him before scurrying off to a console where he began punching keys feverishly. He was afraid... they all were... the human species had never been dominated before.. Yet this young man was able to do it... he possessed the power to control demons... he called them digimon... these horrific creatures were at his command... the emperor had all the cards.... he was feared for his power... and for the memory of how he achieved his empire...

  
  


The wise of humanity had come to serve him... the fools of humanity had tried to hide from him...

  
  
  
  


The man turned to him with a look of trepidation upon his elderly features.

  
  


"The Genesis phase is ready to activate upon your mark... master...."

  
  


From behind the thrown a mechanical arm snaked around to the front. It was mounted to a miniature monitor and key pad... with a metalic click it locked into place before ken. With a sudden flash the monitor illuminated to a image of the earth... then from that image the digital world appeared at its side...

  
  


"You know... it is said it took god six days to create the world.... I hope he's watching... so I can show him how it's done..." ken smirked

  
  


with a smirk he looked to his gloved hand. Then with lingering movements peeled it off... upon his finger a large shimmering black ring glowed. It was of two shimmering black rings which intertwined around a large dark stone.. The ring looked sinister upon that hand... ken smiled darkly as he examined it. It was more then a piece of jewelry... it was the key to genesis...

  
  


From the ring itself several spider like legs were protruding... it was designed so that the dark ring could never be removed, as the "legs" were plunged deep into the emperor's finger. It was terribly painful... the legs had gone as far as to wrap around the bone itself... needless to say the dark ring was secured to the boy... it was made of a alloy derived from both the digital world and the earth's strongest metals... it was invulnerable... the ring's power was not fully known to anyone... it was rumored to be capable of empowering its wearer with the power of genesis itself... all this and more remained hidden within the cold cobalt blue metal... the ring glowed sinisterly as ice within the dim light....

  
  


The emperor's eyes closed tightly as he clutched his wrist with his free hand. His hand trembled with either fear or with pain... but regardless the midnight-black stone began to glow fiercely.... it was not a gentle glow as was that of the digivice.... but more a demonic radiance as though you were looking upon hell from a distance, the glow of brimstone across a desolate landscape....

  
  


There were several men in the room as genesis was activated... they cowered in the far corner as they watched the most horrific act in the history of either of the twin worlds... fear glowed within their eyes as ken's eyes clouded to a sickening black.... a dark light radiated from him in soft wispy tendrils... they pulsed outward as serpents from the borrow... the spectral snakes of bluish black light glided upon the air in great swirling motions... they danced upon the wind in mournful dance as the room soon filled with the essence of genesis....

  
  


No one knew exactly where the ring had come from... ken had been said to have made it himself in the digital world... or perhaps found it there... the stone was the key... it was some form of a micro chip.... a memory chip... and within the shimmering black of that stone there existed the only recorded files of the genesis program....

  
  


Ken's eyes shot open at sickening speed.. They were pure tarish black now... all white was painted over with dark hue... it was horrific to see as he stretched out his hand to the horizon behind the window... the laboratory was high above the landscape as a tower upon a castle would be... from beyond the threshold you could see the soft billowing smoke as it wafted upward from the horizon... the world was in agony... from the soft green grass the empire had grown... and from the soft soils of earth ken's evil spilled outward as a gash within our planet... from that gash hell itself flowed forth as though it were thick malignant blood from the wound. the emperor now stood at that window... and as he raised his glowing hand to the heavens there came a cry...

  
  


The sound was low... yet it resonated through the skies... it was as though the earth itself were crying out in pain. Every stone from the landscape now bellowed out the mournful cry.. It moaned loudly as a death song... the skies cried out a low howl. Earth was mourning... the death song belted out as a chorus from all directions.. And as the winds carried the horrific melody it continued to moan out in the trawls of this bitter symphony...Yet it fell upon death ears... for from his hand it came....

  
  


It was a beam of great light... it exploded from his fingertips into the heavens as a great energy demon.. It leapt and crackled like some hellish manifestation of all that mankind feared... it leapt upon the gates of heaven as a monster bent on ripping them down... past the stratosphere it raged forth. And as the blast entered the empty void of space it shattered in a great explosion of light... the sky had darkened... and from that vast artificial night it was seen clearly.... it was as though the sky were on fire... the world was seemingly swallowed up in this white wall of flame and destruction... from the heavens around the earth it came to us.. It was as a great sheet of pure white light.. The energy crackled violently as it descended upon the sleeping planet of earth.... and then... it engulfed the earth within itself... as a python it coiled around the world as though it were no more then an egg... then the snake demon devoured it within it's white flaming jaws.

  
  
  
  


To describe what happened as the light first swallowed up the world was as futile as telling a blind man how the sky burns with golds and reds as the sun sets... reality twisted and contorted as it was altered eternally within the glowing blanket... the digital world was gone... the earth was gone.... and as the two shadows of one merged together all hell broke loose... nature had gone mad... in one horrific heartbeat all that was evil.. The winds screamed in agony as they violently contorted in the trawls of agonized death... the planet grew.. It changed... 

  
  


From the glowing sphere that was our world new landmarks erupted from the nothingness... mount infinity erupted from the light.... as did all the digital world from tear's point to the ruins of myotismon's castle.... the earth's landmarks manifested as well.... the great pyramids of Egypt now stood upon the desert's sands as earth and the digital world were re-made...

  
  


Then as travelers they came... shadows upon silvery horizons of the new earth...the digimon...

They stood as humans stood, in dumbfounded shock at what had transpired.... their world was now ours, and ours was theirs.... "What a brave new world, with such people in it..."

All eyes... digimon and human were on the sky... no words... just a feeling so vast it united us all within itself... the utter helplessness of it all...

  
  


Ken stood from his window with a look of dark glee upon his features...

  
  


" I think I beat his record.... " 

  
  


he looked to the laboratory men who stood at awe at this new world... this Neo-genesis.

  
  
  
  


"Welcome to the new world gentlemen.... my new world....."

  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  


the year was 001 AM.

  
  


It became known as the years after the merging. The control spires were a thing of the past.. The dark rings were rendered useless now. They were now in the same class as the digivice... outdated technology... useless... as the worlds merged it changed humanity... as the digidestined had possessed digital partners... now all the newer generations of humanity had a similar bond... every human from the age of nineteen down was now a digital human. It was a term used to say a digidestined, or a human possessing a bond to a digimon... digivolving no longer required a digivice.... the key to the process existed within the human... and this new bond outmatched the power of the dark rings.. The digimon were no longer slaves to the ring... yet now they were slaves of a different calabur... they were slaves of an empire.....

  
  


Now these children of the digital were called to two sides of a conflict... most were taken into the empire. They were his army.. His workers... his subjects... from their efforts the empire flourished... they carved the great capital city of the empire from the face of mount infinity itself.... the castle reached high into the heavens... it was a great thing of beauty.. As Rome had once been now the empire was... the earth was theirs, or it was his....

  
  


The emperor divided the earth into four halves... though he reigned over each of these territories he appointed four lords who would maintain control over each of their lands... these lords were among the strongest of the digital humans... though none of them were any match for the emperor himself, ken didn't truly trust them... it was a lesson repeated thought history that were there was power there would be traitors... power corrupts... and absolute power corrupts absolutely... it was for this reason that the emperor needed a warrior.... one who would never betray him... a weapon of unspeakable power..... a being capable of harnessing the genesis strain....

  
  


The second group was a lesser force... they were known as the Burning Dawn, the last glimmer of hope for freedom over the dictator emperor... their base of operations was a mystery... as was their numbers.... it was said they were a great force that fought for the people... they were supported as best as they could be by the people. The empire's dominance had created slums of cities... people had to scratch out a living from this new world... and that was no easy task under the emperor's yoke.... these rebels, known as the burning dawn were a group who battled against the empire... they had a leader...

  
  


The leader of the burning dawn was known as the greatest leader in the history of humanity.. A skilled leader of men, one capable of fighting a losing battle, and from the flames of defeat scratch out a new hope.. A kind hearted leader... the dawn's efforts were put partially into aid for the people... the face of this leader was one of pure kindness and love, yet also one of cold steel and strength... it was said that her parents were dead... killed by the emperor as were so many others... she was said to be an angel and a demon... she was a great warrior, and a skilled peace maker... yet she was alone... though she was described as the image of beauty, she was alone.. Her own words were that her heart lay buried at tear's point... only a handful of people knew exactly how true that was.....

  
  


She was the last thorn in the emperor's side.... the last hope for freedom... the leader of the burning dawn... the only name she would give was Lady Kamiya........

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  


**_3 years later_**

  
  
  
  


a young blond woman hurried around the main laboratory. She scurried as a mouse from terminal to terminal. She was an attractive young woman. Though she looked a little to frantic and bookish to be considered glamorous. She wore a white laboratory coat with a black shirt tucked underneath it. Her blond hair was held in place atop her head by a pencil, which served as a pick. Upon her kind face she wore a pair of wire framed glasses... 

  
  


She was frantically moving across the lab with an expression of fear upon her face. She froze as her eyes fell upon the doorway. The emperor stood there with a look of dark annoyance at her... as their eyes met she froze... fear radiated from her eyes as she stared into his blue angry eyes....

  
  
  
  


The emperor stood before her... though he was shorter then her he managed to maintain a feel of demonic power. He was feared, and that fear now burned brightly within the aspect of his icy blue eyes... those eyes were not blue... they were instead a deep sinister hue... it was the color of death... the same shade as that which the body takes upon it's death... he was muscular.... his frame hung outward with imposing muscles... yet his actions were what truly inspired terror... he was a demon... as calm and still as a snake who waits within the tall reeds for the bare feet of foolishly careless humans... the face wore no features... just cold stone... 

He approached her

  
  


"You said you had something worthy of my attention?"

  
  


"Y-yes sir..." she stuttered as her face grew pale...

  
  


Among the many new positions that had been expanded upon during the empire's era was a vast array of computer technologies... these fields branched outward as a great dark tree that stemmed from innocent roots. Technology existed to aid mankind... yet through the pollution of the empire it was turned dark and corrupt... 

  
  


genetics... were once there was a field who could produce staple foods for the starving, and create cures for the most heinous of diseases... now there was a field where the very nature of humanity was altered and re-shaped... weapons were made... genetic nightmares....

  
  


The job was never in jeopardy for so long as you were good at it... yet you must always be aware just how much your life is worth... ken was a monster... much more ruthless then any digimon... he tortured and killed... and to those he deemed unnecessary.... hell has never seemed as close to earth as you look upon the emperor's dark side... it was rumored he performed experiments... horrific experiments...

  
  
  
  


Debra Karr was a very gifted woman... a computer programmer by trade... but now she had found a new calling in this new world... she was a researcher. A lab rat for all meanings of the word. She was assigned to monitor the core of the new world... as the worlds had merged the core of the planet was a vast nebula of data and other such coding... it was a place that defied logic, for within the confines of this core no laws of the universe applied... ken had learned that this core had existed within the digital world... it was the equivalent of a recycling bin.. Data would siphon down into this aquifer of coding where it would degrade down to a core power... some had considered this core to be the digital equivalent of an afterlife... It was a romanticized idea that after life the data would re-join the vast matrix of the digital world...

  
  


Debra searched this core... it was a lonesome job... one devoid of praise and of challenge... the exact reason that she had been called upon to fill this job had never been clear to her before today.. It seemed like such a mismanagement... she was too good for this task... yet if she ever breathed her dissatisfaction it was certain that ken would end her career without a pink-slip... there were many possibilities... the most preferable would to be given as a reward to the warriors of the empire's army... it was a common practice for the emperor to turn the more attractive women who displeased him into concubines.... though degrading this life would be an easy one... she would be treated well most likely... it had even been known that the more favored women could even be granted their freedom....

  
  


The other options were more horrific... she was smart... the core to the empire was a new technology... a horrific one at that... bio-computers.... One cell of the human body stores the equivalent of millions of gigabytes of data.... it was a dark rumor among his tech men that ken had been experimenting in this dark art..... if this rumor were true it meant that anyone with an IQ was a possible candidate to be assimilated into this vast horrific machine.... it was the most unspeakable evil in a long twisting horrific line of evil acts...

  
  
  
  


"Sir, I was scanning the core.. Yet as I analyzed sector G790 I came across an interesting sequence of codes... I have only seen this once before, it's almost like a digitized human... yet... there appears to be manipulated aspects to the data sequencing... sir... it's genetic information I believe..." she paused as she looked to him

  
  


"Is that possible?"

  
  
  
  


ken began to analyze the data at a feverish pace... his eyes widened as he looked across the line of numeric code... the ones and zeros were illegible to common man, yet to ken they were as clear as text on a written page... his lips pulled upward into a grin as he feverishly flew across the page..

He smiled sinisterly as he turned to her.

  
  


"Were you briefed on project 01?" 

  
  


"Yes... that was the genesis project I believe... the second phase..." 

  
  


"Exactly, now are you aware of why the second phase was decidedly impossible?"

  
  


"Yes sir, the zero factor... though we can replicate organic structures, we cannot create a new life from scratch..."

  
  


"Very good... but tell me when you read this bio-schematic... what do you notice?" 

  
  


the woman studied it as though it were some painting sitting on a wall within a museum. The screen radiated with a luminescent green glow. It bathed her ivory skin a pale lime green... the numbers danced across the screen in a manor that would boggle the mind of any normal human... but under the service of the empire, normal was just as good as food for the tyranomon... it took genius to please the emperor...

  
  


Her face lightened.

  
  


"My god... this subject has Nero-kinetic activity.... he's alive...."

  
  


"More over my dear.. He is surviving within the core of the digital earth... the power in that environment would be enough to rip any normal human apart.... this one is capable of surviving with such a power..... even... thriving within it....

  
  


Contact the genetics department.... we have a candidate for project 01....."

  
  
  
  


*************************

**3 months later**

  
  
  
  


the room was silent as the grave as all eyes were upon him... he stood there in motionless sleep within the warm waters of the incubation tube. The only light was the faint green glow of the luminescent waters. The darkness of the room was staggering as it seemed ominous and horrible. The walls were bare steel and exposed wire which hung limply. He was still as he remained lifelessly floating within the genetic soup.

  
  


They had uploaded the genesis protocol into his genetic memory... the result was something that exceeded their grasps on reality. The genesis was thriving within him... reality itself was cowering before him.. He was alive... and as he slept his readings indicated dreaming... this puzzled the geneticists... he was dead, yet he was alive too... the dreams were troubling... after a series of innovative Nero-probes it was discovered that his dreams were memory fragments... pieces of some vast puzzle that once was his life... some of the staff had began to feel pity for him... the dreams were obviously sad, for upon examining the liquid soup that he grew within it was found that there was a rising saline level.... he was crying....

  
  


He was considered by many to be the demon with the angelic face. He was handsome. His face was clean cut with lightly hued thin lips that formed a slight sorrowful pout as he slept. His chestnut hair hung in suspension as it glided softly within the amniotic fluids, it was long and soft as it glided silently within the currents of the tube. His body itself was slightly more blemished... he wore a vast array of light scars across his entire frame. He was muscular.. Well defined shape that protruded outward with lean muscles. He was tall and strong... and handsome, despite his scared body.. And hands.... he had became the subject of intrigue as all the departments questioned his origins... he was suspected by many to be a fighter.. His development of muscles and battle scars were proof of the profession he had once belonged to...

  
  


The emperor had visited him often.. And as ken looked over the frame of his creation he was un-readable... it was a mystery as to the genesis breed's strengths or applications. But ken watched over the boy as he would a family member... he had chosen to age the subject to his own age... for unknown reasons... He was named after ken's program which created him, and now flowed within him.... genesis...

  
  
  
  


"Time to see if our work has payed off.... Dr, Karr.... do the honors...."

  
  


The young woman quickly began to punch several keys on the tanks numeric panel. The result was a whoosh of hydraulics as the fluid drained away from the tube. He slumped against one of the glass walls as he suddenly lurched forward and began regurgitating the fluid in his lungs. He wheezed and gasped as he felt himself begin to breath for the first time since his resurrection.. His hair hung against his chest as he slumped to his knees.. He was weak and disoriented as he curled into a ball within the wet tube...

  
  


With a few keystrokes the tube pulled away leaving him there upon the cold floor. He was crying softly as curled into a fetal position concealing his nakedness.. One of the laboratory men rushed to him and threw a thick white laboratory coat over him. The boy was vaguely aware of it as he suddenly clutched it to himself for warmth. He began to shake violently as he clung to the coat for heat..

  
  


Ken suddenly stepped forward and with a quick movement removed the long flowing cape from his shoulders. He threw it over the young man who clutched it tightly. His lips quivered from the cold. For the first time the boy looked up to face them. his eyes were a soft chocolate brown as he surveyed them.

  
  


"The light hurts my eyes...." as he spoke the room began to shiver lightly. Each of the bulbs suddenly burst apart in a rain of glass, fiberoptic cable, and sparks. Several of the laboratory assistants shrieked as they leapt away from the genesis. Ken however smiled softly at the unconscious acct of power.

  
  


"Don't worry... birth is never an easy process... you'll be fine." the emperor spoke softly with a almost kind voice as he addressed the young man. Several of the lab assistants looked to one another with question as the demonic emperor showed seemingly genuine concern. The young man looked to him with gratitude in his tender brown eyes.. He continued to shiver as the emperor embraced him tightly before ordering blankets be brought to the laboratory..... 

  
  


"We must be strong brother... we have a world to conquer, and I'll want you to rule it with me..."

  
  


"Brother?.... 

  
  


I'm your brother?" he paused as he looked upon the kind face of the young emperor. He seemed to trust the face of this young man. Something about him gave the frightened child a sense of comfort, and belonging.

  
  


"As you wish.... brother..." the boy spoke softly as he looked upon the face of his emperor, his creator, his brother....

  
  
  
  


**We walk a path of winding roads**

**they cris and cross as a great puzzle at our feet.**

**From where we tread it is impossible to know the destination...**

**Will the path be an easy one?**

**Shall I trip and fall upon this path?**

**Shall it lead to bright landscapes, or dark horizons?**

**The questions are as tangled as the roads themselves...**

**Yet we continue onward...**

  
  
  
  


**Not the End**....

   [1]: mailto:logan91235@aol.com



	3. Genesis 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone. Slavery was a bad thing last time I checked.. Well after receiving some very insisting e-mails requesting genesis 3.... here it is... well guess what.. This is the very last part without direct taiora. I have been going nuts with ideas for them when they get back together... I have a few extremely fluffy things planned to alleviate from the gothic nature of this fic... but hey, be warned... still gonna be a dark fic... I would like to thank angel for the name of the young soldier. And though it is not going to happen yet I would like to thank whit (the writer ) for an idea that I guarantee will give us taiora lovers a new character to hate... (you'll see)

well here it is....

  
  


Mail me at: [logan91235@aol.com][1]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_Genesis_**__

**3**

  
  
  
  


by Logan

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**"The Whereabouts Of The Heart"**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The army was as a black wall as they stood atop the cliff. The air was dark and seemed to smell of death as they looked out over the empty plain. It was vacant now yet on the distant horizons the banners of the opposing forces flew high within the still air. Now as the empire's army sat atop the ridge they looked onward to the sea of advancing men and digimon. There was thick fear in the air... it hung so heavily before them that it seemed as though it should be capable of smothering the shallow breaths. The digimon of various breeds stood at the side of their partners.. The air was thick as the sea of ultimate, and champion digimon stood at their side. They looked to their human counterparts for reassurance, yet found only doubt within the aspect of their eyes. Thus the air was silent... digimon by nature tend to be a bit more vocal then humans.. They could chatter endlessly about virtually anything, yet now they stood frozen... no words escaped their column lips as they looked forward to the advancing sea of death.

  
  


Many were new to war... both humans and their digimon had yet to know the true meaning of a word used only in text before this day... they had questions.... would they flee this battle or go forward onto it as titans of battle. They looked to one another in the hopes of seeing some strength with which they could suckle upon and distill courage from... they were organized tediously by element and range... tyranomon stood in the mid range alongside their human partners. Slightly before them in rank stood the Maramon units who were a more up-close fighter. Much was considered in unit placement... type being utmost... a floramon interlaced with a greymon would bring about swift incineration to the plant digimon during battle... thus they were placed carefully so as to play from their unit's strengths.

  
  


They knew the plan to this war.. The frontal units would assault head-on... they would move in artillery style as the long distance fighters would engage from a distance to cover the frontal units. The flying digimon would attack from the skies, as subterranean digimon would plunge upon them from the earth's crust. The secret strategy here would be the Snymon... assassins by nature they would go at the enemy from the back and sides. Their blades would seek out greater threats, and with the precision of a sniper's bullet take them out... it was a good plan.... but this force was a great one...

  
  


Lady Kamiya was not at this battle, but one of her generals was. He was known as Davis... a poor boy who was orphaned during the first assault of the emperor. He was slightly hot-headed, but his heart was in the right place. His face was scared from forehead to cheek over his left eye. It was said the wound was delivered personally by the emperor himself. A show of power... over a weak child who had spat upon his cape. Davis hated this man who would call himself emperor.... and every day as he touched his cheek which lay scared with a mark of hatred he remembered the feeling of helplessness as he recalled laying sprawled upon the ground clutching his blood soaked face.. His tears had mingled with his blood that day... he was alone in the world and as the emperor had walked by him, whip still moist with his blood he had been alone...

  
  
  
  


********************

  
  


Davis had laid there for seemingly hours...no one had stopped to help him for fear that the emperor would hear of it. That wound had made him an outcast... to all who knew him he was the empire's enemy, and collaboration with him meant you were capable of being killed for it. He cried as he curled into a blood soaked ball upon the cold ground. His mother and father were eaten before his eyes... a Tuskmon. His sister had been pulled from his arms and he had not seen her since... he had heard that all teenage girls her age were to be concubines for some of the emperor's favored knights or lords... he shuddered to think of what her life was like now... made from a kind hyper girl to a whore for the empire. He missed her... she had her faults, but jun had tried to protect him from the emperor's men... he still could feel her soft arms around him as she cradled the crying boy in her sisterly arms.. Then those arms were ripped away from him.. He mused at the idea of selling his soul for a chance to be held by his big sister agin...

  
  


"Are you alright?!?" a voice called to him frantically as he was pulled into a woman's arms. His eyes stayed closed as he pictured Jun there holding him. He was vaguely aware as the voice called to another with frantic words.

  
  


"Joe! We have an injured here! It looks like he has lost some blood!" Davis felt himself being examined by a pair of kind, manly hands. They touched his throbbing skin softly, as would a doctor. All the while the original arms still held him and stroked his hair lovingly as she murmured soft reassurances. His face was bandaged softly by the one called joe... The pain lessened lightly as some ointment was put to the wound prior to bandaging..

  
  


"Are you alright sweetie?" the womanly voice spoke.

  
  


He opened his eye to see the image of a beautiful young woman with crimson eyes smiling down at him. She had his blood on her cheek, yet seemingly un-bothered by it.

  
  


Davis tried to speak yet found that after hours of phasing in and out of consciousness on the hot ground had left him unable to form words his throat was dry and scratchy. She recognized his thirst and quickly retrieved a canteen full of water from her belt. He drank thirstily from the metal spout as she continued to stroke his soft brown hair. Joe had began to wash away the caked blood from his face with delicate movements...

  
  


A new face came to view before him, that of a girl his age who had a bandaged arm. She was cute he noticed... a shy girl who looked down on him with a warm smile. She spoke quietly to the woman...

  
  


"Will he be ok Sora? Can I help?"

  
  


She looked to the girl. 

  
  


"Yes of coarse he will Yolie, why don't you go get some more water and maybe some food for him... I bet he's hungry after tanning all day out here." the girl nodded quickly with a giggle as she sprinted off through the crowd to retrieve some rations for him.

  
  


"Can you speak?"

  
  


"Yes...." he replied groggily.

  
  


"Good, do you have someone I can take you to?" she asked softly as she leaned him up against the brick wall at his side. He looked up to her sadly..

  
  


"No... I'm alone.." he said bitterly as he recalled the emperor's gleeful smile as he looked down on Davis. Sora saw this fire of hate within his eyes, and the way his fist clenched tightly as though it were strangling the emperor's imaginary throat...

  
  


"I see.... perhaps I have an offer for you...."

  
  


"Davis..."

  
  


"The emperor gave you that?....." she motioned to his face. He nodded in reply.

"And I bet you want to pay him back for it then. I'm lady Sora Kamiya of the burning dawn... here's my offer: you want to pay him back for what he has taken from you, from us all... well if you join us you can... I can feel something in you.... you're a chosen, like us, a digital human.... soon you will be a full fledged child of the digital... complete with digimon...

  
  


If you want, you're welcome to join our group. I can't offer you much in the way of money, but you'll get a roof over your head, an education, training in the digital arts, a chance for revenge, and.... a family" she glanced over to Yolie who had returned carrying an armful of food.

  
  


"Think it over.... if you want to join us Yolie can take you...." she rose up slowly, her dark cloak billowing in the hot wind. Joe smiled at Davis kindly as he tightened his long white medical coat before taking his place next to Sora. The two vanished into the crowd as shadows would into a sea of black.

  
  


Yolie smiled at Davis as she sat beside him. It was strange for the young man... since his family was destroyed he had been completely alone... Here he was sitting in the middle of Seles city with a girl he didn't know who was pleasantly chatting about everything from her surrogate brother izzy, his girlfriend Mimi, the burning dawn, and asking about his life. Davis tried to act like it didn't matter, yet as this girl talked to him he smiled lightly for the first time since his family was destroyed.

  
  


"My parents were taken... I guess I am lucky, he killed almost all of the others. But he took my whole family and put them into one of his slave camps... I haven't seen them since... the only reason I wasn't taken was because I was to little to be any good to them... so they let me go..." she paused as she motioned to her arm.

  
  


"After they broke my arm of corse...." she bitterly replied.

  
  


They spoke for hours of all things.. Lost loved ones. Pasts, presents.... and the last lingering hope for a future worth living. He had agreed to join them... he learned what it was to be a child of the digital, a friend, a warrior, a leader, and the object of Yolie's affection. It was strange for him as the months turned to years. He had found a digimon who became a fast friend. Learned how to fight as a knight of the burning dawn. And much to his astonishment fall in love. He had been attracted to a few of the girls here. One named Hikari being among them. yet somehow this girl named Yolie had brought out feelings in him that he had never dreamed he could have... she lessened the pain of his losses... and she seemed to have a higher tolerance to his acts of stupidity... but perhaps all it truly was about her that milked love from his heart of stone was the uncanny ability she had for making him forget the pain and simply enjoy the present.

  
  


He had changed much over the years... now he was a young man who was devoted to the cause and the team... lady Kamiya was now his mentor... she had always made time for him, and all the others. He was for the first time truly happy, and he would kill any who would threaten this happiness.......

  
  
  
  


********************

  
  
  
  


The empire's forces looked on with slight fear behind their eyes.. Davis was one of the best generals in the dawn, he could fight and kill with the precision of a machine. His forces drew nearer to the battlefield which hung darkly before them.. They were green to warfare where as his were not... a wave or murmurs suddenly rippled through the army as a lone figure began to make his way through the precessions. He walked with long dark strides as the men moved apart for him in a strange union of fear and respect. 

  
  


He wore a long flowing black cape which matched his dark shirt and long pants. They were military style, yet not as the emperor's were. While ken wore ornate uniforms of trimmed gold and velvets this man wore a simple dark attire that would seem to make for comfort and for movement then it would to impress the enemy. He wore thick black gloves that snaked upward to his forearms. He wore little armor, an anatomically correct armored breastplate and two shoulder plates. At his side the blade remained seethed within the large leather bound scabbard. Its pommel was of demonic steel wrapped around a blade that was more feared then the entire empire... the sword was a gift from the emperor himself... and was feared for such a reason... the emperor's gifts were usually something to warrant terror......

  
  


He stood at the precession of men as a demonic god... this was a combination of many things.. His cape billowed forth as a set of demonic wings into the hot balmy air. His figure was an imposing one too. He was muscular and powerful in both appearance and actuality. He looked to them through the mass of long flowing brown hair which whipped forward as a thousand miniature raging tentacles. But then there was his face... or... his mask.... it was a grim sheet of steel shaped to that of a skull. It was a cold and sterile thing to glance upon... it's eyes were dark and hateful as it glared out over them. he had been named the demon of the empire by friend and foe alike. Though when the mask was gone he was the emperor's brother... a prince of the empire.

  
  


He had chosen his path as to how to serve his brother. He was a fighter, it was obvious from the beginning that he had a natural gift for combat that was never before equaled upon the earth's greatest warriors. He loved the delicate beauty of war. The dance within it... one force advances and the other is pushed back, then the situation is reversed... the subtle movements of combat as one circles the other in magnificent movements. This was what genesis was happy to do for his beloved brother. After a short time he had proven himself above all others. Perhaps he could claim the empire itself from his brother, yet he was above all loyal to his only family. He would give his life for his brother, and do so with true joy at the notion.

  
  


He looked before them as a figure of godly strength and power.. He was their leader... and in battle he was their god. He looked at them as each man's eyes found his in grim fear and admiration... it was the cost of the mask... the effect of it. For any who look upon the face of the demon prince are at his mercy. You were either for him or against him... and it came to be true to pity the latter... for they were already dead.

  
  


"We go forth as something more then men today... I look upon you and I see fear. You all have homes to return to so of corse you would be afraid of losing what you have. But hear me now children of the empire!

  
  


Fear is more lethal then any sword! It can kill you, or kill for you. These men who ride against us, they are men... nothing more. Humans and digimon bleed and die just the same. So now I offer you the one secret to how to survive this day. Cast off your humanity here and now! Humans are weak creatures, they are ruled by fear. So if you wish to actually live to see tomorrow you must make yourselves more then man.

  
  


Look to your hearts and find the true nature of mankind.. The darkness. It is what makes our souls truly our own. we are not men of peace, we are warriors... look to your hearts and feel the fire of darkness within. Embrace it, nurture it. Make them fear you... become shadows of men and come to them as something they cannot fight against... fear is your ally on this field.

  
  


Know that should you die upon this earth that you died for something greater then yourself... you didn't die for money, or power, you die for a dream which we call the empire. Our strength is in our unity... we are brothers today... family.... it's a word I know only through you. It is who we are... it is all we are... when you step onto this earth know that you must fight for our people. For that love of family you must embrace the darkness and fight as demons....

  
  


Know this... today you are warriors..."

  
  


He turned back to the field where the army stood waiting. Genesis smiled lightly behind the guise. He could see the storm as it thundered from across the hills... he looked to this wall of mounting death that was known as the burning dawn... they were as a vast sea of men and digimon who all towered before them. genesis had requested this battle... it was one of the losing ones...

  
  


He smirked softly...

  
  


"Day of destiny"

  
  
  
  


********************

  
  
  
  


the smell of steel was in the air... it mingled with the coppery taste and aroma of blood. Earth was shredded and burned in the hellish war that was now raging. The senses were never as account as they were in conflict. You could hear the cries of the slain as though they were musical notes in some great symphony of war. Steel rang out as it clashed with steel. Digimon roared out as they snapped up human after human in bloody bites.

  
  


Flames raged into the skies as pillars of flame. The earth screamed as it split open swallowing tyranomon and human alike. The chorus of Garurumon rang out into the heavens as the battle sang out. Seconds turned to hours as the ground became stunned with the corpses of empire and dawn alike. Faces painted the ground in morbid art as these hollow eyes looked out over the living with the same look of terror etched upon their lifeless features. Swords clashed against one another in an endless chorus of strife and agony. Where once there was a blazing day, now there crept a sinister dusk.

  
  


Men rushed headlong into swords which cut and impaled them. the air was thick with choking smoke as they struggled in vain for the ability to see the enemy. Some ran through the mob slicing out with their blades at any movement be it friend or foe. Giga cannons rang out through the screaming choirs as they exploded onto the army with great walls of flame and shrapnel. It was chaos in it's purest form, yet to one man it was poetry....

  
  


Genesis charged through the conflict sword in hand. He moved so fast that he couldn't be tracked. He would slash through a man leaving him in two halves without thought as he leapt upon a Monocromon's back before driving the steely tool into his spine. He was painted in blood and sweat as he raged against them. some stood aghast at his actions and simply took a break from the war to watch the onslaught of genesis. Some he impaled with his blade, others he crushed in his fist before tossing them aside as rag-dolls. He moved from one to another as a hand of god who would crush all that stood against him. 

  
  


Davis had been using the newly discovered armor digivolving technique... he would change his warrior digimon from form to form in seconds.. As flamedramon he would shoot through the conflict reducing the empire to ash. Then he would shift to raidramon and simply run through them, using his spikes to sever and cut. Davis too was doing quite well. He had learned the twin blade technique. And now slashed through them with two swords acting and moving as one. He cut and slashed as though it were child's play. Yet as he looked upon the face of the war he froze.. A face... a steely mask he had known only to be that of genesis...

  
  


He looked to his men and then to the genetic demon he had come to know as the emperor's greatest knight. He watched in horror as this demon prince painted the ground a ghastly red.

He didn't have the forces to defeat genesis... the army itself was a joke, the dawn could destroy any of the empire's forces save this one man. He was sure that without genesis this battle would be over by now, yet with the knight it was impossible. Davis suddenly screamed out the retreat order, the call was in turn screamed out by each of the captains and with that the burning dawn was retreating. Davis was saddened by his loss at victory, yet he knew the true importance of this plan. He was meant mearly to distract the emperor while Takeru's forces caught the emperor's reserve forces unprepared... he had won on principal.. But he would have enjoyed turning this planned defeat into a victory as well.

  
  


Davis smirked as he saw the shadowy figure who stood at the edge of a hundred feet away. His blade glimmered in the light as he looked to Davis. Davis had expected this confrontation... genesis liked a challenge, and of all the men on this field he was the greater challenge he could get.... He was waiting for Davis to make the first move... but Davis had developed a little surprise for the prince of demons...

  
  


With a sudden bolt of golden light Davis's digimon shot into the sky. Genesis gasped as he leapt back to his troops with one backwards jump. All eyes were on the small digimon as he was engulfed within a golden radiance. The shimmering light swallowed up the tiny blue digimon within itself and from the radiance he came.. A powerful foe known only as magna-mon...

  
  


The words echoed in genesis's ears as he looked in horror at the surprise Davis had been saving for a special occasion... he had a new digital armor... and as he stared in shock at the golden magna-mon he realized he was in actual danger. "Magna explosion!!!"

  
  


Time froze for the empire's army as the pulse of golden fire exploded outward to them.. It filled the sky with its great destructive power.. As it drew ever nearer to the army of men who stood in terror at the sudden death that this attack meant, genesis sprung forward. He ran to meet the blast before his men would be within its range. As he stood at the head of the line he awed lightly at the sphere of golden light as it descended upon them.

  
  


Drawing his hands together in tight fists he felt himself evoke the genesis strain from within. Genesis was a power that was not fully recognized.. It could do things that were a mystery even to the only human who held the power within himself. He could call upon it not by will but by emotion and situation... thus his body began to radiate with a strange eerie purple light.

The empire's army cowered away from him... they had only heard of what he was capable of doing.. 

  
  


He screamed in agony as his body exploded outward with this dark light in a mimic of magna-mons's explosion attack. He screamed in agony that seemed to radiate from every direction. The blast of purple and black energy screamed through the sky as it clashed with the golden light. The glowing darkness radiated outward as a great sea of darkness. It swirled and churned with lightning as it met the glowing orb of gold with a rage. The men gasped as they felt themselves engulfed by the dark shield of energy.. It both terrorized and amazed them as they watched in horror as the golden light engulfed them...

  
  


It was calm... like the eye of the hurricane as they watched with wide eyes. The light faded away softly. And as the world around them came into view they realized that Davis had vanished and that they had been saved by the genesis knight. Their eyes found him there upon the ground. He was shaking lightly as he remained curled into a ball of icy cold flesh. Using the power was almost akin to dying from it. Every test of the limit he was capable of achieving resulted in him almost dying in the effort. He lay there shaking softly as he quivered in seemingly freezing cold. It was a strange result. The genesis was almost fatal to its user. The boy was now shivering from ungodly cold. It was not the cold of snow or of ice, but the cold of emptiness such as you would find within outer space. His skin was completely devoid of warmth as residual sparks of black lightning struck the ground in a harmless crackle.

  
  


One young soldier broke from his awkward silence and ran to him. He was a clean cut young man with soft brown hair. His face was a kind one, such a face you could only find within the sweet aspect of a child's eyes. He had fought and killed today, yet he still was as a child now... his only desire was to help. He didn't know what to do but he did know that he must do something. He wrapped the shivering young man within the cape then screamed out to the onlookers to get him something for warmth. He stared down over the imposing figure he had beheld before.. Yet now that he could actually take him in... the genesis was little more then his age. And for all his seeming strength, he lay there now helplessly. One word occurred to the young soldier.. He was a hero.... not a demon....

  
  


With a slow movement the young man reached to the smoldering skeletal mask. He slowly lifted it from his face to find two kind chocolate eyes looking to him appreciatively. The face was a kind one.. No malic or evil was visible within his kind eyes and tasseled brown hair. He mouthed out a shuddering thank you to the young soldier who smiled back kindly. He respected this genesis character... for all his talk of abandoning humanity, he was first to give his life for the lives of his men... an act that screamed of humanity... with a straining effort he helped genesis up, and began to walk him back to camp bearing his weight heavily upon his shoulders..... he didn't understand this prince of demons... but he did understand that this man was worthy of loyalty.

  
  
  
  
  
  


********************

  
  
  
  


"you're certain it was genesis?"

  
  


"No doubt about it... if ken can make more like the genesis then we are as good as dead

I lost some good people today... it had to be genesis....." Davis spoke softly.

  
  


The two young men walked down the long winding hallway which led into the deep bowls of the earth.. Soon the only light was that of the fluorescent bulbs as the two walked lower into the tunnel, far beyond the outside world. The tunnel was made of steel plating and titanium mesh, yet it still was darted by the occasional root which would hang down from a small crack in the plating. The tunnel sloped downward steeply then leveled out into a strait horizontal walk.. The complex was deeply submerged in the earth... yet from the stony bearings it snaked outward to reveal amazing berth. Much to the shock of new recruits the location of the base was submerged beneath the waters of tear's point.. It made sense... after the digital world merged with the human world certain things were different... tears point was always a deep seabed yet now it stretched considerably deeper into the crust of the digital earth. Also something else changed... in the depths of the digital ocean there had been a ruined deep sea research facility.. Yet now as the two worlds twisted and writhed to make one, certain things were rearranged. Now the facility existed within the waters of tear's point alongside the black tower of Datamon. Sora mused at how she had became so attached to this location... it seemed that no matter where she went destiny seemed to link her back to this place... it was the perfect hiding place for the burning dawn. No digimon good or evil would venture into these waters... thus this place was hidden from the emperor's gaze... how ironic that tear's point would once again come to represent the last hope for life against evil....

  
  


Davis looked up to face Takeru. Theirs was a bittersweet relationship. They were comrades in the fight, yet they were enemies at times. It was a strange relationship to say the least. They were of different backgrounds as well. Davis had turned bitter to the world after his world was destroyed. TK was from a background of mystery. Few knew exactly who the knight of light was... he had a mother who was still alive. She now ran a care center in the heart of the empire. TK rarely visited her for reasons clear only to himself.

  
  


Davis had asked once about TK only to find that his secrets were well guarded. Sora was the one who eventually told him some of the story. She did so hesitantly and with great care to censorship to certain parts.. Davis couldn't help but wonder at the young man.. He was so serious.. So collected. He was feared by many for he was among the strongest of the children of the digital. It was said that only lady Kamiya herself was his superior...

  
  


He was considered by many to be a handsome and strapping young man. Yet he never indulged any form of recreation that Davis had seen. Well that is of coarse assuming Kari didn't qualify as a form of recreation. Davis chuckled. But basically TK was a figure of authority around the group. Sora ran the show, but TK handled the daily occurrences. He became a thing of mystery to Davis.. How could any guy be that strict. He spent hours training on end and never once seemed to grow weary of it. His serious nature was something that took getting used to.. He tended to frighten the new recruits... he still creeped Davis out some times... he was asked once why he was so abrasive to everyone.... his only reply was that something was coming....

  
  


Sora had finally given in and told his secret to the young Davis.

  
  


"TK was the most innocent of us once.. He possessed an in-exhaustible hope for the world and for the people... I feel bad for him now.. He has lost hope in humanity. Sometimes I wonder why he is still following our cause. His loyalties lay with Kari, and then the rest of us... I think he has actually given up on humans, he is just here to protect his family... TK came back to this world still in many ways a child...

  
  


He was certain we could show the emperor the error of his ways and turn him good... he never gave up on the idea that ken was not a lost cause...until he saw what ken had done to him...

TK's father was crucified..." she choked out. 

  
  


Davis froze as he looked at Sora, for the first time since he had known her he saw her shed one tear. Sora looked away sadly as she found herself recalling something she had tried to forget for years. Her eyes were dull as she looked into Davis's sympathetic brown eyes. The air was thick as she tried to continue slowly.

  
  


"We got there to late... he was already dead.... it was a slow death, and a painful one.. Crucifixion... it's one of the worst ways to die.

  
  


TK wouldn't let us bury him.. He insisted on doing it by himself... He never cried when he did it.. But he got this look in his eyes.. A darkness that has been there ever since that day... TK hasn't cried since that day.. Only Kari knows exactly what he feels... I think he died that day with his father, well at least the hope died... he loves Kari with all his heart, that's the one thing he has left, her.... you two would have once been friends... now... I think what ties us all together now is hatred for the emperor.... what he has taken from us all. Davis, we all have lost something... he just handles it differently. TK loves us all as his family, it's for that reason that he is the way he is...

He knows that the storm is coming, he just wants to be ready when it gets here..."

  
  
  
  


"So TK, ummm... How did you guys do?" Davis asked with a friendly chuckle as he tried to get some confirmation that Takeru was still alive...

  
  


"We won."

  
  


"You know man.... sometimes I feel I would get more from having a conversation with a rock." he replied exasperated as he threw his hands up in the air.

  
  


"Good... it might be nice for you to have a challenging intellectual conversation for a change."

  
  


Davis mearly growled in response as he continued to trot at the knight's side. TK looked back to him with a low chuckle as he began to speak more out of kindness then necessity.

  
  


"We were able to take an information officer hostage... if we hurry we can listen in while Kari interrogates him.... oh and Davis.. Sorry about your people... I'm sure they fought well..."

He replied as he hastened his pace.

  
  


"Ummm... thanks... I appreciate that..." he blinked in disbelief... was Takeru, just nice to him just then? He shrugged the thought off as he began to trot after TK who was already down the hall.

  
  
  
  
  
  


********************

  
  
  
  


two young men held the third back. He struggled against their grips heavily, as he tried with all his might to free himself of their strong grips. He was in his late teens and bore several scars across his thick and muscular frame. He was stripped of his shirt leaving him only in his baggy black pants. He struggled heavily as he kicked and strained to free himself from the clutches of the burning dawn. His arm bore the dark tattoo of the empire's insignia, which set him aside as a soldier for the empire.

  
  


TK and Davis entered the room silently as they glanced across the precession of faces to find a familiar one. Sora looked to them with a light smile as she ushered them to her side. The three smiled lightly as Sora patted each of their shoulders as a physical reinforcement that they had survived. TK smiled warmly at his "sister" while Davis scanned the room for Yolie only to find her making her way to them. he smiled lightly as he drew her into his arms and kissed her softly.

It was an action repeated with each day he would go off to battle only to return to her arms . Sora smiled softly to them as she whispered how grateful she was that they had both come back to her, TK looked to her softly and mouthed out as to where Kari was. Sora nodded and whispered that she would be here soon.

  
  


Yolie continued to softly kiss his scared cheek with immense love as she incoherently mumbled about what a moron he was for taking such a position when he could just as easily become an intelligence officer like her. He smiled back against her as he placed several loving kisses against her soft pink lips. He was oblivious to the sorrowful expression which had sweat over Sora's features as she watched the two young lovers.

  
  


The room grew still as the door slowly opened to reveal the frame of a young woman with long flowing chestnut brown hair with a light dusting of silver white across her front bangs... the prisoner paled as he looked at her.. Her soft brown eyes had began to shimmer with silver light as she slowly entered. Her gaze fell upon the restrained man with a great surge of divinity. TK smirked as he caught a side glance to him from those glowing silver eyes. Davis had only heard of what Kari was capable of doing.. She had always shown considerable control with her powers around him... needless to say it frightened him to watch her step forward with her hair dancing in nonexistent wind as her eyes burned with white flame. He glanced over to TK who much to his shock was glowing as well. His eyes shimmered with flame also, though less then Kari's it was still quite terrifying. The two lovers shared a link... hope and light were of the same lineage, and as the two were together they tended to show their power slightly more then they normally do.

  
  


Kari spoke in a voice that resounded through the room with a great commanding power. All but TK and Sora seemed thoroughly impressed by the sorceress of light. The prisoner snarled ferally as he looked to her..

  
  


"Release him...."

  
  


The two men immediately relinquished the soldier who looked puzzled momentarily, then suddenly leapt upon Kari. He was intent on killing her with his bear hands, yet as he drew nearer her hand shot up in a strange gesture. The assassin froze in place with a look of horror upon his features who were barley able to move more then an inch. TK chuckled lightly as Kari made a sharp gesture which hurled the man against the far wall.. He remained there, pinned to it as if he were a butterfly in a collection. He frantically looked around only to find himself at her mercy as though he was a doll to a child's whim. The sorceress smiled softly as she drew to the center of the room.

  
  


Her lips parted softly as she began to sing lowly. Her eyes closed lightly as she swayed to the soft song. It was a strange tune with low and mournful words that were gibberish to all but herself. The words carried softly through the air as she continued to sing the strange melody no louder then a low whisper. The room was utterly silent as Davis found himself witnessing some great spell of the sorceress. The song radiated through them... it was as though the words could pass through the ear and into the mind itself. The soft sounds of the music could carry through the air as beautiful specters... the song was beautiful as it reverberated through the room with low and sad melody... Davis watched as the prisoner was gradually released from Hikari's spell, only to find himself already in a new one. His eyes were closed peacefully as he swayed softly to the song of the young girl. Davis looked to TK for an answer the young blond boy smiled softly as he whispered to him.

  
  


"Kari has learned how to use her voice in a way which can produce a deep hypnotic trance. The words aren't what matters, it's the feeling Kari puts into it which can put you under. This is very effective because no one can fight the song...."

  
  


Kari smiled softly as she began to walk tword the young man. He was still swaying softly as a reed in the river. She was mearly inches from him as her hand suddenly shot forward clutching his forehead. He cried out as his eyes suddenly flashed a bright white light. Kari's eyes matched his as both sets of eyes burned with white fire. He began drawing in deep gasping breaths as he stared blankly with his sightless eyes.

  
  


"You in there kar?" TK smirked as he addressed the man's blank expression.

  
  


"Hey baby, fancy meeting you here" the man called out as he stumbled tword TK with arms open.

  
  


"Don't.... ever.... do that.... again........" TK shuddered as he recoiled from the image of the shirtless man coming on to him.

  
  


Kari smiled lightly, without removing her hand from his head. The man was completely at her mercy, and the mercy of a Kamiya is somewhat limited.... Kari had Taichi's sense of humor.. A fact that both saddened, delighted, and worried Sora... Kari grinned lightly before turning to a serious expression as the interrogation began... the man's body twitched lightly as Kari reached into his mind to take the knowledge locked within... the sorceress was a being capable of reaching into the minds of those with a weak defense... she could step into the minds of many as simply as one could step into a room. This man was nothing.... his greatest secrets were extracted with effortless action as Kari delved into the shadowy waters of this man's mind.

  
  


The process began to get more violent as the man began to writhe against her mystic touch. He was shaking as a leaf in the bitter winds as Kari ripped his mind apart in the hunt for data... she was feared amongst the empire.. For those who crossed the sorceress would come to know that she was not always a sweet young girl as she appeared to be on the exterior.. The lineage of the sorceresses was a story of evil and good which varied from time to time... 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


********************

  
  
  
  


Back in the beginning of the digital world there were the guardians of light, and those of the dark.. The two were as rival families... each of the twin sides warred against one another in a struggle which crept through history as a repeating milestone which led to events of pain and degradation... light versus dark.. The darkness was given a bad name long ago by those who chose to follow evil paths with it. Yet beyond the stigma, there is no good in light just as there is no evil in dark. They are mearly light and dark... yet these guardians hated one another.. And from their bloodlines the hatred stretched generations of protectors...

  
  


However two children would bridge this gap. One girl born as a high perishes to the order of light... and one boy who was born to the order of the shadow.. The story has been heard before. They meet by chance and yet through divine love they conquer hatred.. This story was a love story... the first true love story... the lovers had known that they would never be allowed to coexist within the war of light and dark. Thus they fled the digital world to the earth. It was said that they married and had a child.. A baby girl. This child was born of the union of the dark and the light... she was known as the first of the sorceresses..

  
  


Generations passed by and the line of the sorceress was blamed for the actions of certain descendants with the gift and the desire to use it evilly. Some were good and some were bad, yet the evil was remembered while the good was forgotten... over time the lineage was lost for a time... yet it was prophesied that a young girl born to be amongst the chosen children would come to embody the traits of the sorceress. This girl would be the strongest of both light and dark, though born to light the dark would exist harmoniously within her... Kari had been discovered to be the child incarnation of this sorceress.

  
  


Sora had never truly been sure how to handle Kari's destiny. She walked a fine line between urging her young "sister" to bury the gift or to nurture it. She had always wanted to do what was best for Kari... and to make Taichi proud of her. He was gone, yet she wanted to protect what he protected and to fight as he would have fought.

  
  


One such battle came in the form of TK.. She knew that they were growing up as one.. She had recalled it of herself and of Taichi.. Yet she feared what would happen to Kari since she was quite sure what would have occurred between herself and tai if he had told her sooner... she had always loved him, and she was fairly certain that she would have shared herself with him long before the day of destiny came to Taichi... now she stood unprepared... should she have tried to stop their relationship to escalating as high as it was already, or should she support them and simply insure that they were responsible as they "grew up" together.... in the end it was Taichi who had made up her mind.. It occurred to her once that she would have cherished the memory of making love to Taichi when he was still alive... she couldn't deny them something that she wouldn't have thought to deny in herself..

  
  
  
  
  
  


********************

  
  


the interrogation had concluded with a considerable amount of information on the empire's plans as well as certain interesting tidbits upon the current situations within the empire's inner workings. Kari had learned much from him... yet it troubled her to use this power... to take from the mind of another was almost like raping them... to defile their deepest thoughts.. Yet Kari had tried to be gentle with him as she took what she needed.. The result of her care was leaving the prisoner with nothing more then a three day migraine. Kari had retired early with TK who were happily enjoying some time together without missions or interrogations.. It was strange to see them both so mature, and yet within the other's arms so innocent at heart. Love was a great thing...

  
  


Sora smiled to a soldier who was patrolling the main hall as she passed him on her way to the surface tunnel. The air was sweet that day... it was never truly fresh air since they had been forced to hide within the waters of tear's point, yet tonight it seemed fresh from the salty sea. She glanced upward as she walked slowly down the plated steel catwalk. The cylindrical tunnel was made of strong glass which gave her a glance to the sea. The sun shimmered brightly from above the mirrorlike surface of the water. Soft drifting scarves of green and red sea-weed danced slowly on the currents of water. As Sora looked over she saw a small pod of dolphins who had taken up residence in the lagoon.. Though tear's point was connected to the sea these particular animals seemed more at home within the more calm waters of tear's point. She had always loved the tranquil bluish-green of the waters... her feet fell softly upon the steel grated floor as she mad her way to the surface. Her heart was heavy as she continued onward down the long stretching corridor.

  
  


As she stepped forth from the gaping opening within the tunnel's end her eyes took in the world around her. The air was sweet as it hit her lungs. She could feel the soft spray of the crashing waves against her lips.. As she basked in the glowing warmth of the sunset. She watched with sad eyes as the sun glimmered within the water just before it vanished behind the darkened horizon of rocky cliffs...

  
  


Sora was saddened as the sun vanished.. It was someone symbolic to her... the setting sun. this was her anniversary. She had taken the name of Kamiya on the same day she had taken his ring. It was her way of committing her heart to one alone.. Taichi had loved her for all his life. And she had failed him by failing to see it within herself that she was as deeply in love with him. Tears were common for her now... she mourned the loss of his touch. She had chosen to celebrate this day.. It was the anniversary of so many events..

  
  


It was the day Taichi had saved the world. It was the day she had realized she loved him. It was the day she was forced to say goodbye to him. She looked back to him more then ever on this one day. He was in her heart constantly, yet today was their anniversary. It was a day of joy and of pain.. It was the day she both found and lost him. It was the anniversary of her marriage to him. It was a confusing occasion.

  
  
  
  


"Oh Taichi, I miss you so much..." she spoke softly as she sat next to his monument. She reached over and lovingly stroked the cold stone monument. Her eyes closed as she imagined it was his cheek she were caressing.

  
  


"Oh tai... I would give anything to touch you again... I miss your arms... oh god I miss being touched by you, held by you.. It's sick really, here I am hopelessly in love with you even though you're gone, and technically we never even kissed.... I think it often... how could I, Sora Takenouchi love like this.. I have always hated love... it makes people fools, and it rips apart lives along with friendships... how could I love you like I do? How can I possibly long for you every day with this pain that I know to be love? Yet I can never wish it away.. How can I love without you... how could I live without you?"

  
  


Tai, I wish you were here, if for nothing else just so you could help me deal with this pain. It hurts every second of every day... it's like a knife in my heart, it never stops hurting... sometimes I just want to fall to my knees and cry. I miss you.. For you... for the smell of your hair to the way you laugh. I would give my life to hold your hand...

  
  


Oh well, I shouldn't be complaining to you. Oh hey, a lot of stuff has been going on since last time I talked to you.. Kari and TK are officially in love now. They tried so hard to keep it from us all for so long. It's kinda funny that they would try because we all knew they were in love. Too bad you're gone, I know you would have loved teasing them about it!" she giggled lightly until the implications of her words reached her. She paused lightly as she looked at the stone. He was really gone...

  
  


Sora had always talked to him when she was alone. It was more a way of lying to herself. She could almost fool herself into thinking he was there with her. He would be fighting there with boredom as she would rattle onward about the mundane details about the day. She smiled as she pictured his cute grin when she would catch him not really listening. Yet over time this action became a daily ritual.. She mused at the idea that she must be going crazy..

But still, even if she was fooling her self....

It was nice to have him there for her again.

  
  


Sora sighed sadly as she lay at the foot of the monument. She felt the gritty earth underneath herself as she breathed in the cool night air. Her mind danced against the backdrop of the stars in slow and magic waltzes with her true love of long ago. She rejoiced in these fictional ministrations as she glided softly within her memory and fantasy who was known as Taichi. The sky was a brilliant one, painted with countless diamond stars. As she remembered the boy which he was, and envisioned the man he would now be she celebrated their fictional love.

  
  
  
  
  
  


********************

  
  
  
  


The room was bare of all comforts save a bed and several other items of necessity. No art or decoration lingered upon the soft textile walls of this hut. It was the typical lodging of a soldier in the empire's army, yet this shelter seemed more primitive and isolated then all the others. Upon the wall there were no pictures as many of the other soldiers had attached to their temporary lodgings. Faces of loved ones who would be waiting for their soldiers back at home. Faces who would remind them where their hearts lay anchored... yet this wall had none, no grinning photos or other trappings which would indicate this soldier had anything worth living for. This soldier had no love within his heart.. It beat only by impulse, but without drive to live.

  
  


He lay there under the mountain of blankets. They were furs of various animals augmented by several additional donated blankets. They were warm as they encircled the sleeping boy. He had finally stopped shivering, yet he was still far from full strength. His soft brown hair hung against his brow which glistened lightly of perspiration. His thin lips were closed tightly as turned restlessly in his sleep. He dreamed... he had known these dreams since he first was conscious.. They were frightening dreams... not as much for their content as for the fact that they were familiar to him... they were more then dreams...

  
  


The images haunted him... he recognized the faces to some primal emotion attached to each.. Several he got the impression of family... one he got the image of hatred... and perhaps the most troubling was the face of a young girl... she evoked an emotion with which he had never felt.. As a fighter knowledge is life... what you don't know won't hurt you.... it will kill you. He didn't know this feeling... thus he feared it.. Yet as he saw this female he knew no words to describe her... genesis was a learned man.... yet his vast and expansive vocabulary could find no adjectives for her that were not stolen from a love poem. 

  
  


His eyes slowly opened as he groggily glanced around his surroundings. Yet as he surveyed the landscape of the tent he saw a young man who sat sleepily dozing on one of the few chairs. Genesis slowly rose to a sitting position as he looked to the young man. He was the same young soldier who had made the effort to save him during the brief activation of the genesis strain. Compassion and kindness were very rare as of late... this young man had made a genuine action to help another without thought to the potential danger of the action.. Genesis could have just as easily struck out at him as he approached... the power was like lightning, it strikes out at any potential target. Had the shield not drained him of the residual power he could have reduced this young hero into nothing but ash upon the wind. Yet by fate perhaps he did not.

  
  


The young man wore a chain-mail shirt which was cut off at the arms as a muscle shirt would be. The cold cobalt grey links shimmered softly in the warm light of the room. He was no older then eighteen yet he looked as though he were already grown. His features were soft as he remained on the edge of sleep as he tried in vein to maintain his position of sentinel over the sleeping prince. Genesis chuckled lightly as he coughed softly. The young man shot up to meet his gaze as his eyes seemed to smile sheepishly. Genesis stood slowly with straining movements. He was still weak, yet the icy blade of death was no longer upon him.

  
  


"Sir. You're awake!" the young man uttered as he made an effort to help genesis to his feet. He was brushed off with no more then a gesture of his hand. Genesis stood and stretched lightly. His bronze muscles flexed softly as he stretched.. His companion mearly looked away as genesis began the task of rummaging through one of the large wooden trunks in such of attire. His long chestnut hair cascaded down his shirtless back as he continued the hunt for a shirt and pants. For all his skills it was obvious organization was not one of them. his muscles were sore and throbbed as he bore the pain. His tight abdomen clenched in the low throbbing soreness as he pressed on. The genesis strain was a powerful, it's effects were still obvious to the boy as he watched the prince of the empire grind his teeth as he pushed his body onward.

  
  


"Are you alright sir?"

  
  


He paused lightly. "My name is genesis... you can call me that if you wish."

  
  


"ummm... alright genesis... are you ok? You almost died back there..."

  
  


"It takes much more then that to kill me...." he chuckled lowly to his own joke. Yet as he pulled up a pair of faded jeans he turned back to the young soldier with a serious expression.

  
  


"Thank you... I do appreciate what you did for me back on the field... and for watching over me while I slept..."

  
  


The boy laughed heavily as he stared over the bewildered expression of genesis. " I didn't exactly get much of a choice on the matter. You do know you scare the crap out of everyone right?"

  
  


Genesis broke into a low laugh as he contemplated the truth behind the claim. "Yeah, I guess I do.. Who are you anyway?" he asked as he pulled up a chair from the corner of the room. He withdrew some rations and began to eat hungrily as he spoke. The younger boy looked at him in shock as he watched genesis devour a week's worth of rations in five minutes. He had never before seen someone eat like that, unless you count the eating habits of a greymon... and even then it would be a close competition.

  
  


"My name's Collin...."

  
  


"Nice to meet you Collin... so tell me.. What are you doing here?"

  
  


"Huh?" he asked slightly dumbfounded.

  
  


"Sorry.. But I have a gift at seeing the true nature of a person... it's not quite magic but it is pretty reliable... you are not a killer, yet you have a real gift for it.... you hate violence and yet you weren't hesitant in the least when it came to fighting... I can smell it on you...

  
  


You stink of contradiction.. It's almost as if you're running from something Collin... some demon perhaps?" the young man backed away lightly as he gazed into the knowing chocolate brown eyes of the genesis. It frightened him.. This boy was able to see into his soul. He debated running away, yet suppressed the urge as the genesis smirked lightly. He continued.

  
  


"You are running Collin... But what intrigues me is who's chasing you... and why you ran to the war.." his cold and omnipotent smile faded lightly as he cast a glance of concern to his young savior who was paling by the second. It was true what they said about genesis... he was more then human... and as Collin looked into those dark eyes he wondered if genesis were less a demon and more a god.

  
  


"You want to die don't you?"

  
  


The young man was silent.

  
  


"Why do you want to die? And why choose this death? 

  
  


listen to me Collin... we all have demons... but I sense one stalking you.. And I owe you for saving me back there, so maybe I could save you... I'm good at dealing with demons... because I am one."

  
  


Collin glanced to the door, yet as his gaze returned to genesis's kind eyes he drew in a deep and hollow breath. With a deep sigh he slumped over in his chair. It was strange.. Genesis was rude and creepy as he spoke of demons. And it troubled him that this prince was able to read his mind seemingly. Yet for all the alienating qualities he possessed he also radiated with a strange aura of trust and confidence.. He was called many things... the prince of demons being among them... yet this demon was able to inspire a great sense of kindness. The air of his true personality permeated the small room as he looked to the young man with those kind eyes. If there was a great mystery here then it was originating not from Collin but from genesis himself..

  
  


The hours passed as the two spoke. Collin had known genesis by rumor and word of mouth. These words were horrific and dark ones. They described him as a demon who could burn the soul with a glance from his dark and blackened evil eyes. A creature who was lustful to death and regarded the living in the same way a lion regards a lamb... yet as the young soldier listened to this "demon" he found that the genesis was based in lies and fears. He was no devil who bubbled up from a pool of blood. The boy known as genesis was a kind one. He spoke softly and with great eloquence.

  
  


He listened to the story of Collin's life without bordom or regret. He listened to the boy as he spoke of the cancer which killed his girlfriend. He listened to it all.. The drugs, the depression... the death wish. In the end she was to blame. She had been too perfect.. Perhaps she had assimilated herself into his life too well. As a chain link fence merges with a growing tree over time the two unite as one. The fence remains intact while the tree continues to grow. Yet should one be removed both will be destroyed. The fence breaks, the tree dies. Thus Collin was assimilated into the world of the living dead. The body lives while the heart dies.

  
  


As the younger boy related this to genesis he caught something in the eyes of his new friend. It froze him as he saw it. He had just finished another emotionally ravaging series of descriptions of the emptiness Shannon left within his soul. Yet as he spoke he looked over to the eyes of his friend. Upon examination of the eyes he saw something that he was never prepared for. A single tear lingered on his cheek. Genesis was bearly aware of the tear.. Yet as Collin looked at it he caught a glimpse into what genesis was able to do for him. Reading the soul. Genesis was adept at this talent, so adept that it was questioned wether the genesis was the cause of this gift or wether it was the boy. Collin was no soul reader yet he could read something within the aspect of that lone diamond like tear. It was a fragment of a story... a love story... it was written upon the soft and kindly features of genesis's face. Perhaps genesis had two brothers now... one was the emperor. The second was him... Collin had described the loss as he would have described the loss of a limb. Something so a part of you now gone... yet now he saw genesis with the same look in his eyes.. Another of the living dead... living in body alone, but dead in the heart. Genesis had lost someone.. But his loss was different... Collin knew what it was that he had lost. His love had a name... and with that name, a lifetime of memories with which he could relive vicariously... genesis was born of the digital... he had lived once.. and with that life, loved once. And yet now he lived again but without the soul he had once possessed... that soul was his love for someone... and without it he was a shell... a kind and tender friend yes... but one with a void where his heart had once been...

  
  


"Do you dream genesis?"

  
  


"Sometimes.."

  
  


"Tell me friend, what do you dream about?"

  
  


He paused as he lead Collin outside to the night air around the camp. The stars shown brightly in the heavens. Around them there were the sounds of laughter and talk amongst the men. You could listen for miles and all the voices would unite together in one vast babbling stream of words and sensations. You could breath in the air and get the taste of the crackling logs atop the fire, or the scent of the dinner which sizzled slowly in the pan. The air, the earth, the heavens.

  
  


"Collin... this is my dream... humanity... my dream is to be one of them... not the demon,,, but the man who I was meant to be.... I know I wasn't born... I know that once upon a time I had a life... a family perhaps..... I dream of that life..." he paused as he felt his friends arm patting his back.

  
  


"My dream and what I dream are simple... I want the world I knew once... I want to know what that world was like. To taste the air which I can almost breath in... to drink the water and remember it as it had tasted before. I want to lay in the sun and feel it again.. I want... to be human... a real human." he smiled softly at the idea.

  
  


"You are what you are. The circumstances of birth are irrelevant.. It is what you do with the gift of life that counts... if you want humanity then all you have to do is join humanity."

  
  


"I was human once.... I know it must be true. How could every feeling in every one of my cells be wrong. I have scars from battles I can't remember.. I have dreams of faces... faces I knew... faces who knew me... you say all I have to do is join humanity? Well that is the one thing the genesis strain can't do... for me to be what I was meant to be, I must remember what I was once. I must know who I was... a man is made from his past experiences.. They shape him. I have feelings I can't explain and I know they are there...." he motioned to the starry heavens.

  
  


"Your answers are in the sky huh? Maybe you were a bird before..." he chuckled softly

  
  


"Maybe I was.. But until I remember I think I'll pass on trying to fly from cliffs." he grinned.

  
  
  
  


The two sobered as they looked out over the sky. It was amazingly beautiful... the heavens stretched out as open arms. The two young men looked out over the millions of diamond stars which shimmered in the velvety black of the sky. Genesis looked to Collin with a soft smile.

  
  


"Do you think Shannon is up there?" genesis asked softly.

  
  


"I think she is... in heaven." he replied softly

  
  


"Heaven?"

  
  


"Yes... you know that almost every religion has some form of a heaven? I wonder what type of Sora Shannon is in now...." he awed

  
  


"Sora?" genesis asked softly.

  
  


"Oh, sorry... I used to be a language student... Sora was what people used to call heaven centuries ago.. Sora is the place where heaven meets the sky. I always liked the word... it has a beauty to it.. The skies and the heavens bound together for all eternity.... Sora....." he awed.

  
  
  
  


Genesis looked to the sky in silent contemplation. He could see so much beauty in that sky... the speratic clouds which were now dusted in a soft coat of silverish light from the radiant moon above. The shimmering light rained down on him as though it were a shower of silver and ivory light. The sky which stretched forever, now seemed close enough to embrace.. It was as though heaven itself were no more then a long black blanket of stars and beauty with which we could wrap ourselves in. Heaven? Perhaps there was such a place... and perhaps it was at arm's length...

  
  


"Sora......" he repeated softly as he gazed out lovingly into the sky above him. The word struck him as a thing of true beauty... and also it struck him as a thing he had known once, long ago in a life once lived.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_Life is a thing we love_**

**_it is the one thing that gives us an infinite spectrum of possibilities_**

**_we enjoy the pleasures of life while we recoil from its hardships_**

**_we cherish the joy and we shun the pains_**

**_we are drawn to the light while we resent the dark_**

**_lives vary considerably_**

**_some are hard and will crush us under its weight_**

**_some lives are simple, and in their simplicity devoid of depth_**

**_yet as we seek out the light and the pleasures and the joys we deny ourselves_**

**_life is a precious gift which was bestowed upon us for reasons unknown_**

**_we waste the gift if we fail to truly treasure it in its entirety_**

**_we are alive because we know both joys and pains_**

**_to truly embrace life you must embrace every aspect of it and treasure it all_**

**_a life half lived, is a life not lived....._**

  
  
  
  
  
  


**not the end**....

   [1]: mailto:logan91235@aol.com



	4. Genesis 4

Ok I don't own digimon... the characters... just the plot.... and a few of the secondary characters...

I am soooo going to get flamed for this one... for the fact that I promised this would be the first taiora chapter... and for the ending here.... he he he... Well.. I started writing this one with the intent on making the taiora fit... but to get to the point I had to take some time.. And it just got too long too fast.... well I swear to you that the next chapter will be taiora.... and since I have a whole chapter now there will be a lot more taiora then there would have been before....

Well genesis 4 is done... I hope you like it....

Mail me at [logan91235@aol.com][1]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_Genesis_**__

  
  


**_4_**__

  
  
  
  


by Logan

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**"Reunion"**

  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The city streets were abustle with the action of the large crowd. The city sang out with a vast chorus of cheers and applause. There was an aura of jubilation amidst the thousands of citizens who now lined the busy rode to the empire's citadel. The empire's capital city was divided by one large road of paved cobblestone. This was the heart of the city as it served as the main marketplace. It was the hub of commerce for the empire. Yet this road was cleared of its sale's men for the empire's celebrations. The army had deflected a foe. This was cause for celebration. And thus as the long procession of soldiers marched proudly forward down the street to their finale destination of the Colosseum where they would receive adulation from the emperor himself they were applauded and cheered by the mob of citizens. 

  
  


Lanterns hung suspended by outstretching cables from the large buildings on either side of the main street. They glowed softly with warm and golden light as the soldiers passed beneath. Many of the men waved vigorously to the crowd with large grins plastered on their faces. Yet the majority of the men looked forward with steely features as they contemplated the recent corse of their lives... they had killed.. They had seen the face of war, and now it was time to look upon the faces of their children. How could they look upon the two faces without losing one within the aspect of the other's ghastly visage. Yet doubt or none, they pressed forward.

  
  


Genesis led the march from his place at the head of the line. He sat solemnly upon the back of a large and magnificent black Arabian mare. The horse was a magnificent creature. Its muscles shimmered a glossy black in the light of the flaming torches. It was of fine breeding and it was shown clearly by the creature's aspect. Upon its muzzle it wore a silverish white star which trailed from nose to forehead. Its mane was long and draped over the thick muscular neck like a sheet of velvet. The mighty creature whinnied happily as genesis subconsciously reached over and stroked its brow. The horse had been a gift from his brother for his first celebrated birthday. Genesis loved this gift from the first moment. He felt a kindred sprit within the horse which he named dark angel. Genesis had few friends... but dark angel was among his most trusted. In all honesty he could probably run at stride with his horse, yet as he sat atop his friend he felt as though he could fly.

  
  


Collin was one of the higher ranking officers in his regiment. Genesis had made the command decision of promoting him to captain. Thus he too now rode along side his friend. He rode a maple colored stallion who was as of yet nameless. He looked out over the crowd and then back to his friend who was once again brandishing the steel skeletal mask which was trademark to genesis. Many civilians knew him only by this face, truth be told only a handful of people had an accurate knowledge of what he truly looked like.

  
  


"My god, these people would celebrate Thursday..." he blushed out as a young female merchant proceeded to give him a quick flash of some of her goods which she would not be selling on the open market. Genesis mearly burst into laughter as his young friend began to turn a bright pink.

  
  


"What is the harm in it? The men fought hard, they might as well enjoy themselves. You would do well to join them." he smirked

  
  


"I suppose I could say the same to you mr. Personality negative." Collin chuckled.

  
  


"Jerk" genesis mumbled.

  
  


The procession continued onward with the same proud strides across the stony path. Yet as they passed a large tower of a building they were unaware of the figure who stood atop the large tiled roof. He was dressed entirely in a large black cloak. He looked to be a demonic gargoyle of a man as he perched atop the roof. He stood there amidst the scaffolding with arms folded upward onto his chest. The billowing black fabric of his shroud danced eerily in the cool noon air. His face remained locked in shadows as he looked down on them. his spectral eyes were upon genesis who continued talking to the human. He was a powerful figure as he stood there amidst the roofs. He was isolated from the cheering crowds below him. All the life around him was that of the doves who perched under the inclines.

  
  


He looked to the sky slowly, and then back to the genesis knight. He suddenly broke into a run atop the roof. He was fast... faster then any normal human. Yet as he ran there was a grace akin to that of a wolf as it glides stealthily amidst the trees of a great bleak forest. Thus the hooded man glided atop the roof. As he came to the edge he gracefully leapt across the gap in one mighty leap. He regained his speed the second his shiny boots hit the abrasive roof of the next building. He went on like that until he had managed to disappear amidst one of the shadowy aspects of the large buildings.

  
  


Genesis stared up to the roof where the hooded figure had once stood with a sense of concern. Any normal human could never have moved like that, and any normal human would never have been able to detect the presence of the shadowy figure. This troubled genesis... this guy was better then he thought....

  
  


"What is it?" Collin asked as he sensed his friend's weary expression.

  
  


"Nothing..." he growled softly

  
  
  
  


the two returned their attention to the crowd. People were still cheering and celebrating the return of their friends and family. It continued onward until the great Colosseum came to view. The building was huge as it stretched high into the heavens. It was a great and mighty stadium constructed to honor the emperor. It was the place to hold public spectacles. Ever since the empire was born it had born a great resemblance to the empire of the past. The great romans had constructed a thriving civilization. They created many things... among them was the great Colosseum. Ken had borrowed of their design to create his arena. Though the emperor had a taste for the civilized things in life he also bore a taste for the more barbaric joys that life had to offer. He was a man who would through lavish parties. And in these parties he would spoil his guests with the finest foods and most classical music. Yet he could just as easily enjoy watching a man be torn asunder by a pack of blood lusting Garurumon.

  
  


The empire made use of this Colosseum.. It was house to the gladiators.. Men of various pasts who were sold to slavery to the empire. It is here that they were made to war for the amusement of the people. And they were amused.... the sandy floor of the Colosseum was often painted red with the blood and gore of the various criminals who had become gladiators.

  
  


As the soldiers approached the great gaping jaws of the Colosseum's main doors they were amazed by the sheer scale of the building. The mighty stadium was imposing as they entered. There was darkness as all the men followed the winding main passage to the floor. The air smelled of blood and stone. It was warm as they entered.. It was as though they were delving deeper into the nest of a great fiery dragon. The heat they felt could be described as that of a great hungry dragon... but more likely it was just the nerves.... and then as the darkness gave way to the light in a sudden flash they stepped out onto the arena floor. The air was much cleaner here.... it smelled of vague incense and spice as they breathed in the air. Genesis lead them with the same lack of enthusiasm that some of the younger soldiers were experiencing. He allowed his eyes to slid shut as he felt the soft kisses of rose petals as they rained down over the returning knights. Several lilymon stood at various locations on the upper turrets of the stadium. It was their job to maintain the raining rose petals. The crowd screamed with cheers as the men took their places in rank. Genesis dismounted his steed and began to make his way to the center of the arena where his brother awaited.......

  
  
  
  


********************************

  
  
  
  
  
  


TK stood proudly near the head of the large consul table of the planning room. The table was a large and a deep metalic grey. It dominated the large room which only contained the table and a vast assortment of chairs to accompany it. The room's purpose was to accommodate strategian and to provide a place that the burning dawn could be briefed. The room had a faint, soft light which cast few shadows danced slowly over the determined features of Takeru.

  
  


He wore a large dark cloak which was a common fashion accessory these days. The knights of the burning dawn had become quite well known as of late, thus it became a good idea to disguise their identities more. Joe however had decided upon a oversized medical coat. Joe was a field agent, yet not a fighter. He was the lead of the medical department as well as a advisor to lady Kamiya herself. Joe had became versed in a vast array of fields since his position became an issue. He now was a chief of virtually all forms of emergency medical care from pediatrics to cardiology. Yet he also had became known as the unofficial consoler.

  
  


They all now began to file into their room and take their positions at the table. TK and Kari sat nearer to the head of the table as their positions were among the highest in the burning dawn. The original digidestined were closer to the front while the newer generation sat farther back. There were around thirty at the table. Each was talking noisily with another in one vast chorus of battle stories, planning, and basic conversation. Kari giggled lightly as she looked upon TK's scowl at them. TK was always so serious... and Kari had made it her mission to keep him from completely abandoning the concept of being a teenager...

  
  


She smirked softly as she rose from her seat and grabbed the startled Takeru by the cowl of his cloak. He didn't have time to gasp before she pinned him to the back of his chair. His eyes were wide in shock as she proceeded to give him one of the most seductive, deep, and impassioned kisses he had ever experienced. He responded on impulse to the kiss by doing all he could to match the ferocity of the young Kari's mouth yet all the while he couldn't help but wonder where in hell she learned how to do that... as she reluctantly pulled from his lips and got off his lap she whispered a soft "lighten up sweetie."

  
  


TK was blushing a furious red as he glanced back to the crowd of people who were all staring slack-jawed as TK tried in vein to stammer out some explanation to why he was turning a bright burning red. Davis burst into a hysterical fit of laughter. 

  
  


"Awwww... isn't that cute!! Little Takeru is blushing!!! I wish I had a camera!" he laughed out heartily, despite the daggers in TK's eyes.

  
  


"Why can't I kill him again?" he asked Kari darkly.

  
  


"Because it would ruin moral..." A spectral voice uttered from behind Davis who leapt five feat away. He looked back while clutching his heaving chest. His eyes shot up to Cody with a hateful scowl... 

  
  


"For the love of god quit doing that to me!" he snarled.

  
  


Cody mearly shrugged as he walked to the opposite side of Yolie. The young man wore all black. Cody was a unique member of the dawn... he had been trained from birth in the martial arts. And now the years and years of effort had left him quite formidable. Cody's grandfather had trained him in the art of Kendo. A ritualized form of the martial arts akin to the samurai of old.. Yet Cody was also well versed in various forms of the martial arts.. Since the samurai were warriors of honor, that form of combat would do little in this war. Thus Cody decided to blend the two more powerful styles at the time when the arts were at their best.. By blending the Kendo style along with Nijitsu he was able to create a hybrid combat system... this style was very adept in the field of assassination and full combat.

  
  


Cody now was the first master of this new style of warfare. He had briefly considered becoming a general, like Davis. But the style contradicted that... it took Cody time to accept the demon art he had created... he was an assassin... a solitary fighter... thus he accepted his destiny.

  
  


Cody had much he wanted.. Yet like all the lords of the burning dawn he wanted revenge above all else..

  
  


The emperor had sent one of his lords to take the city where Cody's family had lived... he sent his lord of strife... lady Kale. Her mission was to collect some humans who would give their lives for science... she had burned most of the city in the effort.. But she chose a hundred souls who would be tortured beyond death... they would be denied release... they would be his experiments....

Among them was Cody's grandfather and mother... 

  
  


he was the emperor's body guard... a bio... The bio was a human once who was experimented on.. His humanity was molested to the point where he no longer qualified as a human. He was a demon... his name was grindle....

  
  


It seemed ken's true goal was the union of human and digital life.. And the Grendle was one of his twisted successes... He took the body of the man and by retroactive gene therapy managed to begin adding traits of various digimon.. Ken had done this before... but the chimeramon proved to be too lethal... the devimon code was later proved to be the cause of his desire to kill everything... human... digimon... empire... dawn... to him all must burn. It was his destiny to end life where ever it existed.. But he was for once grateful to lady Kamiya... for it was by her hand the chimera died... 

  
  


It was then that ken first began to recognize lady Kamiya as a serious threat.. She had killed the demon without the aid of a digimon... it had been then that ken began to question his godhood.. A human girl had been able to defeat his creation. There was something special about this girl... something that continued to trouble him...

  
  


But from failure we make great strides.. In the ashes of chimeramon Grendle was born.. Cody hated ken for his demonic act of creation.. The human ken chose was Cody's grandfather... it was sickening that the man Cody loved as a father was now the horrific man dragon, Grendle... ken's fourth lord.... the lord of war as it was called. He possessed the mind of a man... Cody's grandfather was a great strategist, and a learned man. His mind was a lethal instrument.. And through ken's dark science he was a demon on the exterior... the Grendle had horrific claws... they were long and hooked, each with an edge of a steel razor blade. His kindly face was now a large blackened reptilian snout. His wrinkled skin was now tight, charcoal black, armored skin. The demon had a mane of silverish white hair which cascaded down his back... his body was of tight muscle now... he had long hooked barbs which spiked outward at various points... now he had a long muscular tail which snaked back as a serpent... upon his back he wore two long leathery wings... they were huge and black as they remained folded tightly on his back... he was more dragon then man now...

  
  


Cody's mission was to honor the memory of his grandfather.. And after learning that the first test of the Grendle strain was for it to kill and eat the human it had once tried to defend he knew that honor could only be restored through the blade of a sword... Grendle had proven himself by ripping apart and consuming his own daughter... Cody's mother... Cody had shed his tears for his mother... but now his efforts lay in his grandfather.. The man must regain his honor.. And the only honor he could have now was to die in battle...

  
  


Cody was shaken from his thoughts as he felt a nudge to the ribs by Koshiro who was looking at him oddly. It was un-like the assassin to be so... distant....

  
  


"Cody.. We are waiting for your report.... you said you had a plan in mind?" izzy whispered softly. Cody nodded slowly as he rose to his feet and began to speak...

  
  


"I was thinking over an old Kendo lesson... I feel it relates to our current situation with the empire.... you see ken has employed the use of his four lords to maintain control over the empire... 

  
  


lady Kale is the lord of strife.. She maintains the southern territories..." 

  
  


Cody paused as he began pushing several keys on a console on the wall. The lights dimmed in result, then with a flicker of light a projected image of the particular lord came to view.. She was a woman in her late teens. She had long blond hair which cascaded down her back. It shimmered like liquid gold against her pale ivory skin.. She had shimmering blue eyes which reminded Kari lightly of TK... yet her expression was far from TK's... she had a sinister scowl on her crimson rose red lips... 

  
  


She had a extremely attractive figure, yet it was imposing as well... she wore a long black dress which was slit up the side to allow mobility. On each hand she wore dark black gloves which fit her like a second skin. Cody smirked at Davis's expression as he attempted to keep the drool at bay.. Yolie simply growled lightly at the glistening drool on her boyfriend's lips...

  
  


"Lady Kale is a lethal opponent... she may look harmless, but that is far from true... her weapon of choice is a whip known as a heat rod.... when activated the whip's bladed coils grow white hot... this makes her extremely dangerous... heat rods are hard to master due to their volatile nature. The whip is composed of extremely complex circuitry.. This circuitry can cause the whip to expand to more then triple its length, or become more compact like a bow....

  
  


Kale is a serious danger... the fact that she is so adept at using the heat rod means she is extremely powerful..."

  
  


He pushed a new combination of keys which resulted in the image of a new image to appear... that of a shirtless man. He wore dark leather pants and thick glossy black boots... but what was truly horrific about him was his arms, or lack there of.... in place of arms he possessed two cybernetic limbs. They were a mass of armor and wiring... but the hands were different... he had no fingers, but in their place eight inch talons... they were of razor sharp steel which glistened menacingly in the image... his hair was long and black as it cascaded down his back to his waist.. He had no eyes.. Just a black piece of fabric which covered the flesh where his eyes would have been... he was horrific... it was as though he were a devil strait from hell's deepest pit...

  
  


" meet Dayus... he is the lord of plague.... his arms were ripped off him during ken's first assault on the earth... the agony of having them removed left him with certain abilities... sometimes when the mind is exposed to so much pain it awakens something.... Dayus has powers similar in some ways to Kari's... he can enter minds, and has been known to be able to divine the paths to the future... we don't know exactly the full extent of his power... we just know that he is dangerous...." Cody paused as Davis spoke.

  
  


"What about the eyes, did he loose those in ken's attack too?"

  
  


"No.... he removed them himself...." Davis paled.

  
  
  
  


"The final dark lord... We know nothing about him... he wears a dark cloak.. And on each arm he wears blade gauntlets. They are wired up so that they eject a sword blade at his thought... they are fast, silent, undetectable by scan... and with his skill they are extremely lethal.... as I said we know nothing about him on a biographical level.... well... we do know his name...." Cody paused as he found himself staring at the holographic image of the most powerful of the four lords....

  
  


"Well... what is his name?"

  
  


"Sephiroth.... the god of death...." he replied grimily as he watched the pale image of the dark lord as it danced menacingly with the gentle flicker of the lighting.

  
  
  
  


"These are the four lords..... now moving along to my plan..."

  
  


"Umm... sir.... those were three... what about the fourth lord... Grendle?" a young soldier asked politely as he watched the assassin's cold features darken... Cody looked away from them as he spoke lowly, in a manor as to make it clear that this subject should be dropped....

  
  


"He's a monster...."

  
  


Cody punched several keys on the console which resulted in the manifestation of a translucent pyramid. It gracefully rotated in the still air of the room as each set of eyes were upon it. With several keystrokes the images of the four lords took their place at the base of the pyramid.. Atop them was the image of a figure dressed in a black flowing robe. His face was that of a steely mask which mirrored the dark visage of a recently re-animated skull... then glowing darkly at the summit of the structure stood ken... the image was pale and ghostly as all eyes took in the dark expressions on each of the demonic humans....

  
  


"This pyramid represents the social structure of the empire... at the top we have the emperor, then we have the lords as the base of his power. Each lord has their own specific domain and function through the empire....

  
  


Dayus is their version of our Kari. He is the torturer, and chief information officer...

  
  


Kale is their fighter... though all the lords fit that job, she is the head of the armed forces...

  
  


Grendle is the emperor's body guard.... he is the figure of strength and dominance... kinda their poster demon... we know he has certain abilities... his senses are heightened to the point that he can smell a threat.. Much as a predator can detect a danger another animal may pose...

  
  


And Sephiroth is the lord among them... he is like TK. For us Sora is the boss, but TK acts as field commander.... Sephiroth is the one who maintains order within the empire....

  
  
  
  
  
  


I got my idea from a old Kendo lesson...."

  
  
  
  


"My god... does everything you do involve Kendo? It's like his answer to everything" Davis chucked as Cody turned to him with a dark glare in his eyes.

  
  


"If you doubt the usefulness of Kendo... I would be willing to demonstrate why you should respect it...."

  
  


Davis smirked

  
  


"Bring it...."

  
  


"Both of you... heel..." TK barked out from his place at the table...

  
  


"As I was saying. In Kendo when you fight multiple targets the key is to attack in a manor that dissolves their unity in combat. Then as they are still disorganized attack the individuals one at a time...

  
  


This is my idea... we assassinate the emperor.. Then in the chaos of the event.. The dawn makes a direct assault on the lords... they will be too busy squabbling for power to see the end coming. In one move we could topple the empire... if you think about it, assassination would be preferable to a war which could kill thousands..."

  
  


"But Cody... if we could assassinate ken don't you think it would have been done long ago?" joe spoke solemnly.

  
  


"Actually, no... it has never been done by a group with the power of the burning dawn. All previous assassination attempts had been made by civilians... our efforts have always been defensive...

  
  


I would imagine the burning dawn could succeed where they failed. We are among the strongest digital humans.. I think with our power we would be able to get an assassin close enough to pull a trigger.." izzy uttered as he studied several pages of data.

  
  


"You forget one factor... true.. I have searched the minds of the four to some extent. They would battle for power against one another... yet there is one among them of dark gifts who could silence any civil war... I have done all I could to search the minds of the empire... yet his was completely beyond my grasp... Cody... he is the one flaw in your planning...." Kari spoke cryptically as all eyes fell upon her.

  
  


"Sephiroth?"

  
  


"No... Genesis...."

  
  


The room grew silent at the mention of his name. Genesis was regarded as some form of a dark god amongst many of the burning dawn... they had seen too much to think any less of him. Men had emptied clips into him, and yet the slugs vanished into cold black air instead of plunging into the warm flesh of their target. He had fought armies.. And in the end he stood atop the strongest of men's mutilated corpses. Fighting genesis was akin to waging war with god... his reputation was well warranted...

  
  
  
  


the silence was broken by a soft chuckle from the blanket of shadow along the far wall. All eyes fell upon the source of the laughter yet their eyes yielded nothing but pure tarish darkness. The air was still as the grave for seemingly hours. Takeru had already removed the long silver blade from its sheath. The sword glistened brightly in the dim light. 

  
  


"That's it.. We are switching to decaf." Sora chuckled as the darkness exploded outward in the form her long flowing cloak. She had a devious grin upon her face as she observed the anxiety of the room. Sora was one of the strongest digital humans.. She had abilities and skills which still mystified all of the burning dawn... she was one of very few who could remain undetected even by the sorceress....

  
  


"Is it like that when I do it?" Cody asked as he clutched his heaving chest.

  
  


"How long were you listening?" TK asked with an amused smirk upon his thin lips.

  
  


"Long enough to see the validity of Cody's plan.... though I would hate the idea of assassination.. It is preferable to a long, drawn-out war which could get the cities involved.... The mission has always been to protect life... we can not allow this fight to spill over into the streets.. Assassination is the only option..." she said as she took her place at the head of the long council table.

  
  


Sora smiled warmly as she looked over the faces of her family. Sora wore a long charcoal black cloak which trailed down to her ankles. It hung over her shoulders now revealing the dark tanktop which matched the pitch black fabric perfectly. Her hair hung freely at her back as she patted Kari's back before taking her seat.

  
  


"But Sora... there is no way....

The emperor is no pushover... plus he has genesis, Grendle, and Dayus... between the three of them it would be impossible to get close enough to take him down...." TK replied exasperatedly.

  
  


"I can get through... I am the assassin after all..." Cody said solemnly as he stepped forward.

  
  


"No, Cody... you are good... but to do this it will take all we have. This mission is almost certainly a suicide mission... when ken is gone it will take a lot of quick movements to nock out the lords before the genesis demon can assume command." she paused as she looked at Kari.

  
  


"I have never asked any of you to do something I would not... This is something I must do... I would be able to block Dayus's mental scans... and of any of us, I am best suited to deal with Grendle and genesis... though if things go well I won't have to...."

  
  


"Sora as the senior intelligence officer I must argue this... you are too valuable to throw away in this manor... strategically speaking... genesis is the largest threat we will face... we have no grounds to know his capabilities... technically we have no clue why he is subservient to the emperor.. Our data shows he would be capable of taking the empire by force seemingly without effort..... we would need you for dealing with him!"

  
  


"Umm... guys... I hate to interrupt... but I think I have some information on genesis that may be helpful." Davis spoke meekly amidst the arguing leaders.

  
  


"Yes Davis?" Kari asked with a soft re-assuring smile.

  
  


"Ummm.... in the last battle with genesis I had magnamon use his explosion attack... genesis was able to repel it, but as our forces were retreating I was able to get a glimpse of him... using the genesis power seems to leave him nearly dead... it was like he wasn't able to fully control it... though genesis is extremely powerful... if we can force him to fall back on his power... we could kill him effortlessly in the aftermath.... that is if we survive the power...."

  
  


"That is most useful Davis... but still... Sora, it is a foolish move to have you do what a simple assassin would be for.... no offense Cody"

  
  


"None taken..." he shrugged lightly.

  
  


"Izz.... it means a lot to me that you want to protect me but I can't..."

  
  


"Sora! I watched Tai do this! I don't want to loose another friend!!!" izzy yelled ferociously catching everyone off-guard.

  
  


Sora smiled sadly at the young koshiro as she reached over and patted his hand.

  
  


"Izzy, think like a computer. Given all the data, who stands the best chance of completing our objective and getting out alive?" she asked as she watched izzy hang his head in defeat..

  
  


"You...."

  
  


"Thank you old friend.... now, I suggest we move while the time is right... ken is in the midst of celebrating his empire's anniversary... he will be more public... and tonight he will be at his most vulnerable... we need a plan, and we need it tonight......"

  
  
  
  
  
  


********************************

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


genesis sat atop the long marble bridge... the castle was huge.. Some of its turrets stretched so far skyward that they pierced the heavens themselves.. Genesis preferred these heights.. It somehow was able to give him a sense of quite solitude from the world around him.. He allowed his eyes to slip shut as his senses stretched outward to take the word in. He could feel the winds which whipped at his face with cold and playful caress. Below him he could hear the faint music of the parade. It was a dark holiday... a festival to honor the empire and to celebrate the mythical lineage of the sorceress...

  
  
  
  


As the worlds had merged their legends and holidays merged as well... this was a day of infamy thought the digital world... the anniversary of the end to the light and dark wars.. On this hallowed day, years and years ago the last of the guardians of light died alongside the guardians of dark... it was a holiday to remember with dread the sorceresses of the past... and rejoice that they were no more... or so they thought....

  
  


Men women and children had dawned garish masks of demonic faces... much as the earth had once known a holiday known as old hollow's eve, now there was the festival of the sorceresses..

  
  


Genesis looked down from his high perch to the festivity.. The street was alive with dance and laughter as the children of the empire danced to the eerie dark music of the parade.. The air was black and thick upon the tongue as you bore witness to the low mournful melodies set to the backdrop of ghastly masks and blazing torches. The whole city cackled and pranced about as demons and witches of old with a fearful glee. Genesis chuckled at them from his place high above... even at this altitude he could hear their laughter and smell the sweet hazelwood incense that wafted slowly upon the breeze.... he sighed heavily as he allowed himself to slip backwards onto the balcony once more.

  
  


Genesis wasn't afraid of the altitude, in fact he rather enjoyed it... the solitude was welcomed to him... his dream may be humanity... yet much as a wolf he was uncomfortable within the confines of humanity. He liked to simply observe the people... to live with them from a distance... it was for this reason he slipped away like this so often. It gave him a sense of freedom from the shackles of his false memory and missing life... up here he was at peace... with a heavy heart he began to make his way back to the parade... his brother would be taking his place upon the float soon... he should be close enough to watch as his brother worked the crowd..

  
  
  
  
  
  


********************************

  
  
  
  
  
  


Sora remained silent as she looked out from her vantage point atop the building's bare roof.. She would have a clean shot... Sora was less skilled with a rifle then a sword... yet she was a woman of many talents.. And when the situation called for the skill... she was a gifted sniper... she slowly raised the long weapon to her shoulder as she shifted her weight so as to steady the weapon... the viewfinder slowly came to focus upon the image of the emperor... she took a deep breath and held it in her chest... she focused on his chest... all it would take is one shot... one earsplitting bang from the smoking muzzle of the rifle and ken would slump forward dead... the empire would end by her hand... she would go down in history as the woman who killed the emperor...

  
  


"Day of destiny" she muttered softly.

  
  


With a determined expression she slowly pushed the breath from her lungs as she squeezed the trigger... like a crack of lightning the gun screamed out the solitary shell which flew down to him as a bolt of lightning from the hand of Zeus himself... the call of the shot resounded from each of the large buildings like a low and demonic call. Sora's eyes shot upward to follow the trajectory of the shot...

  
  
  
  


Her eyes fell upon the emperor as he stood before the crowd.. Time was moving so slowly that each frame was visible in itself... the crowd screamed and stampeded away in a screaming panic as the sound of the gunfire rang out. The emperor mearly smiled as the shell screamed ever closer to him..

  
  


Sora looked on with silent horror as the emperor raised his hand to the coming shot.. With a flash of dark light the bullet froze in mid air. Ken chuckled as his eyes found Sora's... they were far away, and yet he was able to find her without effort. With a sinister laugh he motioned to his hand.. Upon his finger the black ring shimmered venomously...

  
  


"Oh crap... that thing isn't just a fashion accessory..." Sora muttered as she tossed the rifle aside. Her expression grew more dark as ken began laughing darkly. He howled with laughter as the words erupted from his snickering lips... "KILL HER!"

  
  


Sora leapt backwards as she fumbled for her communicator... she had to request immediate evacuation. Yet just as she was about to get a signal through the ground exploded upward in a torrent of concrete and rubble.

  
  


From the gaping hole in the ground the cyber demon Grendle leapt forward. His flesh was black as the decay on a corpse as he snarled hatefully at her. He chuckled a deep reptilian snarl as he leapt forward to her.

  
  


Sora pivoted gracefully to the side allowing her booted foot to collide with his stomach. Grendle snarled as he doubled over in pain. Sora spun around with intent on bringing her heel down over the dragon's neck, separating his spine from his skull. Yet as her foot was shooting downward to his death the dragon's wings exploded open, throwing her back several feet.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Grendle leapt forward as a prehistoric monster, his jaws snapped shut with a venomous effect as Sora could hear his great reptilian fangs scraping against one another.

  
  


"You ssssstink of Cody.... Sssssso, how isss my grandsssson?" the demon snarled in his thick reptilian hiss.

  
  


"I was wondering if you would remember him after the gene splicing.. So tell me Grendle, if you remember him, why are you fighting against him?" Sora questioned as she took a defensive stance.

  
  


"I love my grandsssson... but we follow different lordssss.... it isss the way of the ssssamurai. I have my emperor, he hasss hisss emperesss, you, lady Kamiya..." he replied gravely.

  
  


Sora reached to her side and withdrew the short sword. The blade was designed to be a lightweight weapon.. She was considerably skilled with a sword.. It was her weapon of choice.. 

Grendle smirked at the blade.. And in turn her stretched out his huge taloned hand. Much like a cat can retract his claws, so too did Grendle make his bladed fingers grow a good two inches of pure demonic razor.. He was a samurai in the code of honor and loyalty to his master, yet he needed no katana when he had a set of blades which were just as dangerous...

  
  


The dragon was on the verge of attacking yet he froze in place suddenly as a sharp word cut the air. Both Grendle and Sora's heads shot upward to the source of the voice.. Atop the opposite end of the roof the remaining three lords stood.. Each with a sickening grin on their faces.. Except for Sephiroth who remained hidden behind the billowing fabric of his cloak.

  
  


"Grendle.. Fall back... I think I would enjoy the pleasure of killing lady Kamiya myself." Sephiroth smirked... at the command the giant lizard immediately scurried off to the other lords.. It was obvious who was boss here...

  
  


"A pity.. I would have truly enjoyed tessssting the extent of your abilitiessss" Grendle snarled from his place alongside Dayus...

  
  


"Sephiroth has all the fun..." lady kale smirked menacingly to where Sora stood.. She smiled sweetly to her before cracking her great whip in the air amidst a flurry of sparks as the coils sliced the air..

  
  


"Perhaps you would like me to read your future, lady Kamiya...." Dayus smirked as he slowly scraped his taloned blades against one another. The sound was an icy one.. A grim and horrific noise as the razor fingers danced against one another...

  
  


Dayus's head raised to the sky above in a way that would give the illusion of staring into the heavens.. But.. Without his eyes the act was a far more frightening one... he raised his great clawed hands to the heavens in a expression which would seem horrific and demonic given his twisted cybernetic arms...

  
  


"Bad news my dear... the wind smells of death... and against Sephiroth.. I expect it is your death..." he paused as he studied the blackened sky for a time... as he spoke again there was a hint of fear in his sickening sing-song voice.

  
  


"The paths of destiny interlace with you my dear... I see a child lost... a woman without a heart... all upon the solitary path you walk.. You search for death and yet you recoil from its touch...

  
  


I see the roads you have traveled... They led to death... but... not your own...." he paused as his body began to tremble lightly...

  
  


"I see the face of he who haunts you.. A lover lost to you... tell me child what was his name... I can feel it upon you... burned within your heart as a tattoo... he was your one true love.. And that love still bleeds within you, even after his death.... my... your mind is quite an interesting story...

  
  


Let's see a bit more.... shall we?" he smirked as Sora snarled at the lord's twisted smile.

  
  


"...... my god......" he paled as he probed deeper...

  
  


"GET....OUT... OF MY MIND!!!!!" Sora screamed as Dayus was thrown backwards by some great unseen force.

  
  


He clutched the ground on his hands and knees.. As he gasped breathlessly. His claws dug a deep gash upon the Stoney ground.. He felt Grendle and lady kale as they went to him.. This had never happened... there was never a mind who could do that... the girl had somehow been able to push him back... to purge him from her mind... no true human could do that... he began gasping out words that began as a whimper and rose to a yell.

  
  


"Kill her.... Sephiroth..."

  
  
  
  
  
  


"So... you are lady Kamiya... " Sephiroth stepped forward with a dark chuckle. His cloak billowed in the wind as he laughed darkly. From his robe he reached out with his blackened glove to his side.. 

  
  


With a hydraulic whoosh a long steel blade ejected outward from his forearm. The blade glimmered menacingly in the light. He raised the sword hatefully to her. His cloak swirled and clawed in the wind as a caged animal. He was still... like a great black statue....

  
  


Sora smirked as she raised her sword... the hooked blade glistened icily in the light... Sora's hair danced in the wind with great long dancing movements. Her cloak hung off her athletic frame with light swaying movements... her eyes glowed with fire red crimson.. The eyes seemed to burn in the night air as two shimmering embers.

  
  


Sephiroth suddenly leapt forward blade burning in the light. Sora leapt away gracefully as the blade slashed a deep gash in the Stoney ground beneath her. As Sora's feet touched the ground she shot forward to attack.. Their blades collided in a flurry of sparks as they clanged out again and again. The two swords rang out against eachother... Sora was good... and Sephiroth was great...

  
  


The two blades slashed viciously at one another as the two leapt at eachother... Sephiroth was unnaturally fast and agile.. He was able to keep one step ahead of the young warrior at all times... and vice-versa. One would leap from one side of the roof to the other.. Their adversary would be one heartbeat behind.

  
  


Sora alternated with her sword and a series of toys izzy had made for her... Reaching into the billows of her cloak Sora withdrew two handguns.. She began firing round after round upon Sephiroth who was gracefully dodging the onslaught... the two weapons rapidly emptied of ammo and were quickly tossed aside for the sword.

  
  


Sephiroth shot across the ground at ungodly speed as his second sword shot into place upon his other arm... Sora gasped as he began going on the offensive with both swords flailing. She was leaping backwards as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge. She leapt over one while blocking the second sword again and again.. It was getting more obvious that Sephiroth was the superior fighter with swords, yet the fact that Sora was able to keep avoiding his attacks pissed him off considerably... she was more agile and faster...

  
  


She found herself on the very edge of the building.. One more step and she would plummet to the ground so far below. Sephiroth's two blades were pressing tightly down over her head.. All that separated her from the killing edge was her own sword which was shaking under the weight of the stronger lord. She was snarling with all her strength to hold the blades at bay...

  
  


"You..... are quite good...." Sephiroth snarled as he pressed further.

  
  


"I'm.. Flattered you noticed.... but I have one thing you don't....." she growled back to him...

  
  


"Which is....?" he groaned as he heaved downward more...

  
  


"IZZY!" she smirked as her finger moved to a button on the hilt of her sword. As she pressed the trigger several thousand volts of electricity corsed through the steel of her blade, into his swords, and into him... Sora's grip was of a rubber compound which shielded her from the modification izzy had made to her blade...

  
  


He screamed in pain as the force of the blast threw Sephiroth nine feet backwards where he collided with the other lords who were shocked by the first victory they had witnessed against Sephiroth. 

  
  


Sora smirked as she returned her sword to its holster.

  
  


" it's been a pleasure... but I'm afraid you all are going to have to go now.. I still have an emperor to kill....." she chuckled as the three dark lords broke from their trance and began advancing.

  
  


Her arms shot forward to the ground before them. her cloak flew to her side revealing two gauntlets with several apparatuses mounted to them... with a metalic click two rockets took position on each gauntlet... with a sudden flash of light and smoke the projectiles shot forward to the trajectory of Sora's fists. As the four collided with the ground before the lords they exploded with a great burst of fire and mortar. The blast sent the half of the roof the lords were standing on plummeting to the ground amidst a hail of stone and debris...

  
  
  
  


As the smoke cleared Grendle's wings exploded outward heaving the pile of rock from them. the mighty gargoyle had managed to shield them all from the falling building by using his own body as a shield.. He survived the effort, yet was thoroughly hurting.

  
  


"My.. That was fun..."

  
  


"Dayus.. I know it's true, but you are sick." Grendle snarled.

  
  


"That bitch has got to die..." Sephiroth muttered as he dusted off his cloak and withdrew the two blades back to his arms.

  
  


"We lost the assassin.. Totaled a building, and got humiliated... who is going to tell the emperor this one?" lady kale snarled as she dusted herself off while rising slowly.

  
  


The four lords regained their composure as each stood and looked to the vacant spot where Sora had once stood. They were battered and bruised, yet each now had a serious desire to rip the great lady Kamiya to shreds.

  
  


"Umm Sephiroth?"

  
  


"Yes Grendle....?" he growled softly.

  
  


"What the hell is a Izzy? And where can we get one?"

  
  
  
  
  
  


********************************

  
  
  
  


Sora ran through the vast maze of corridors within the castle... she had managed to gain access to the vast complex through a high window.. Yet navigating the palace was a difficult task.. She knew she was near the personal rooms, yet finding the emperor's room was considerably more difficult.. Especially since it was obvious the black ring was able to mimic some of the genesis strain.. This assassination would be considerably difficult... her body still ached from the fight... she had been able to act nonchalant about it.. But the truth was she came too close to losing...

  
  


Sephiroth was bad... he was able to match her in almost all areas... he could move like a wolf.. The perfect balance of speed, grace, agility, and cunning... if it weren't for izzy it was obvious she would be dead now... his adaptations to armor and weaponry had left Sora with her life. She only had a few bruises and cuts to show for the effort...had it not been for the Tazer Sephiroth would have sliced her to ribbons... and if the gauntlet rockets weren't so well refined she would have had to deal with three of the most fierce fighters in the empire...

  
  


She froze as she turned a corner to meet the blade of a sword just several inches from her face.. It had seemed too easy... the guards were patrolling, and in her haste she had failed to keep her eyes on them... if she fought here all the empire would know exactly where she was... and she was running drastically low on tricks which would ward off four extremely angry lords....

  
  


"Well.. Look at what we have here... it seems a pretty young girl is running around in the royal wing of the palace..." the guard smirked as he traced her throat with the tip of his sword...

  
  


"And as I recall there aren't any cleaning crews working at this hour... meaning we have ourselves the little thief who has been stealing from the emperor's room...

  
  


We will have to turn her in... but maybe we can have a little fun with our little thief before we need to turn her over...." the second guard chuckled

  
  


Sora was pale... if she fought.. She was dead... if she didn't she was raped, then captured.. Both of the choices were very bad.... These men were idiots.. But still, they were assigned to the Imperial wing... meaning they were good at their job....

She hesitantly readied herself to fight... it was suicide, but it was the only option she had... yet just as she was about to pull the sword a voice cut through the shadows.

  
  


"You two have some nerve... you both insult and nearly attack my girl..." the voice resounded

  
  


"And who the hell are yo...." the guard was cut off as the figure of genesis came to view from behind Sora in the darkness... his skull mask shimmered evilly in the light as both of the men paled at him. The long black regal cape glided in the air as he walked forward. Genesis wore a pair of deep black baggy pants and a grey muscle shirt.. His hair hung limply at his shoulders as he stopped at Sora's side. She grew white as a ghost as she heard the guard speak.

  
  


"Oh.. Please forgive us lord genesis.. We didn't know she was with you.. Please forgive our stupidity miss!" they both pleaded to her. Sora barley was able to choke out a word as she felt genesis lay his gloved hand on her shoulder. She gasped at the sheer proximity between herself and the dark lord... she was vaguely aware that he was still speaking to the guards.. Spouting out a series of reprimands and threats for their comment about having a little fun.. But all Sora could hear was the pounding of her heart.. She was the strongest digital human on the planet... yet genesis was in essence the power of the digital world itself. She wanted to scream as she felt his arm against her skin... she had never once dreamed that genesis would be this close... she could actually feel his warmth against her body.. It both terrified, sickened, and in some strange way...comforted her

  
  


"My room is this way... I should have been more clear when giving you directions..." he spoke to her softly.

  
  


"Alright..." she gasped as she found herself lead into his room. She was astonished.. For whatever reason he had saved her... but perhaps what he had in mind was far worse then what the guards were planning... they did say this was genesis.... the demon prince...

  
  


She felt him guide her to a nearby door. As they stepped through the threshold she leapt away and in one fluid motion wrenched the sword from her side and spun to face him. Her eyes glowed hatefully as she ran to him with sword flailing. And just as she was mearly inches away she brought her sword down on him.

  
  


Genesis gasped at her sudden ferocity, and managed to bring his hand up to intercept the deadly blow meant for his head. His hand caught the blade just as it was about to kill him. Sora gasped as he wrenched the weapon from her hand.. The blade had cut a deep gash in his palm.. It bled freely as he tossed the sword away from him with a great heave.. The weapon slid harmlessly across the wooden floor and came to rest peacefully against the wall.

  
  


He growled with pain as he faced her with angry eyes.

  
  


"You're welcome...." he snarled

  
  


"Who asked you to help me you son of a bitch empire dog!?" Sora spat

  
  


"Oh great... another fan.... see if I help you again."

  
  


"Why did you? I could have killed them..."

  
  


"You're lady Kamiya... you tried to assassinate my brother. All it would take is one scream and the lords, the empire, and a whole army would be on you in a second..."

  
  


"Why do you care?" she snarled hatefully as she readied a gauntlet to fire stealthily.

  
  


"Because I didn't want you to die." he said softly. Sora froze at the comment.

  
  


He was clutching his wrist as he spoke. The wound was throbbing violently as he tried to keep enough pressure on it to avoid bleeding to death.. Genesis was already beginning to heal, yet it was not easy... he could bleed to death, just like he could be shot or stabbed or hung... he was mortal, just a slightly stronger mortal. He glanced up to Sora with a look of question as to her actions... he saw her gauntlet... it was ready to fire...

  
  


"Get your sword... if you really want to fight I will let you... I would like to avoid it though...."

  
  


Sora paused for a moment as she reclaimed her weapon. She looked to genesis with question. He had not drawn his sword... granted the genesis was not dependent on a weapon to kill an army.. But the fact that he was not trying to kill her gave a strange sense of confusion..

  
  
  
  


"You hate me so much... why?"

  
  


"You have killed thousands of my friends... what more do I need to hate you?" she growled as she returned the sword to the sheath.

  
  


"I don't hate you...."

  
  


"Well good for you."

  
  


"You hate me because I have killed in battle... yet you yourself are the leader of the burning dawn.. You have killed almost as many as me in battle... and if you count the orders you give as commander.. You have indirectly caused the deaths of thousands and thousands of empire soldiers...

  
  


Tell me... Were my friends more deserving to die then yours?" Sora paused at the idea...

  
  


"Then why don't you hate me?" she asked softly.. She somehow trusted him... he was a killer of thousands... yet somehow she knew he wasn't lying to her.. Something in the voice of the demon prince made her trust him... something she couldn't explain....

  
  


"Because I am tired of hate.. I wasn't born.. I was made... and it seems the purpose of the genesis strain is to hate and kill.. It is a weapon... I am a weapon... I don't like that, being so classified.. So labeled to evil..." he sat on the large bed as he continued to clutch his bleeding hand... the crimson liquid had spilled onto his shirt and pants... Sora was slightly saddened by his voice as he spoke... the trust again... she believed him...

  
  


"So it's true you are a genetic... a bio human... like Grendle..."

  
  


"No, he was human once.. And he remembers his humanity... I am not sure what I was.. But I do know that I am not sure who I was... can you imagine what it is like to have a whole life and not know what it was... to be so close to something and not able to grasp it..."

  
  


"If you hate being a weapon why do you do it? You don't seem evil..."

  
  


"I serve my brother... he is all the family I know..."

  
  


"He is a monster..."

  
  


Genesis paused as he looked away.. A time passed before they spoke again.

  
  


"Why did you save me genesis?"

  
  


" I don't know... but when I was watching them with you.... knowing what they were going to do to you.... something just clicked inside... I couldn't let them hurt you.. I can't explain it.. It was like every part of my being was telling me that I had to save you... I can't understand it..." he said softly as Sora drew nearer to him. She lightly put her hand to his silver mask...

  
  


"Thank you..."

  
  


She found herself lingering against his mask.. It felt good to be so close to him.. She wanted to scream inside as she recognized the feeling as attraction.. It had been years since tai... and she finally feels attracted to one of her greatest enemies. She suddenly became aware of the warm substance that her free hand had brushed against... she looked down and realized that it was his blood....

  
  


"Oh god, I forgot... I'm so sorry."

  
  


Sora suddenly began to make use of her field medics training from joe... she removed his shredded black glove carefully as genesis allowed her to bandage his wound... she had such a gentle touch... it was soft and kind.. And loving... he found himself mesmerized by her.... she would glance up from her work periodically to cast a kind reassuring smile to him... it occurred to him that this was the first time a girl had ever smiled at him with his mask on...

  
  


"Well that should be about it... the bandages will need changing in a few hours... but you'll live."

  
  


"It should be able to survive without a bandage in a hour.... I'm a fast healer..."

  
  


She smiled at him as she looked down at her handiwork... for the first time she noticed a deep scar on his rough hands... it was a strange scar...

  
  


"Where did you get that?" she motioned...

  
  


"It's been there since I can remember...."

  
  


"It almost looks like an old digivice..." she paused as her eyes widened at her own words....

  
  


"Give me your other hand...." she uttered hastefully as she grabbed his other hand... she began fumbling with the thick black glove as he looked down at her questioningly... after a minute of effort the thick glove fell away revealing a identical scar... the shape of a digivice... burned into the hands....

  
  


She stepped back as white as a ghost. Her eyes were wide as she stuttered out a weak "oh my god..."

  
  


"What is it?" he asked....

  
  


"T...take off y.. Your mask...." she stuttered.

  
  


Genesis debated wether to do this... there were very few who knew his true face.. Collin had seen it only because he had removed it during genesis's deep sleep after the battle... only the emperor and the other lords had actually seen him without the mask and known he was genesis.... his true face was his hiding place... he would remove the mask from time to time so he could walk down the city streets with out the looks of fear.... yet now his enemy wanted to see his face... but... somehow he knew that he could trust her with the true face...

  
  


He stood slowly, then reached behind his head and began fumbling with the leather straps which were concealed within his long brown hair... as he managed to undo the final strap he reached around to his face...

  
  


Sora was pale as she watched with breathless awe... she couldn't breath at all... just stand there trembling...

  
  


He removed the mask... and Sora gasped out a word she didn't really know... it was more the expelling of that one breath she had been holding.. Her eyes were wide as they filled with tears...

He looked to her with question as to why she was crying... his tender chocolate eyes found hers with care and question etched in their aspect.. His face was more mature.. Older then he had once been... but it was still him... the same soft, thin lips... the same chestnut brown hair and chocolate eyes... the same high cheekbones.. And well perportuned nose....

  
  


The tears began to fall as she gasped out a word she hadn't dared to say for so long....

  
  


"Tai........"

  
  
  
  
  
  


**We walk a path in life....**

**Upon it we meet other travelers who have their own destination...**

**The rode is a hard one.. The earth is rocky and foreboding...**

**Yet the journey of life is made more easy if we make the trek with others..**

**We walk the path of life with kindred spirits...**

**Loved ones may split away down other trails and roads..**

**And as they do, we may** **be separated... our destinations may change..**

**But on occasion the paths do cross again...**

  
  


**They say goodbye is all we know of heaven**

**and all we need of hell....**

  
  


**Then that would make the reunion our bid for salvation..**

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Not The End......**

   [1]: mailto:logan91235@aol.com



	5. Genesis 5

Disclaimer: ok I own nothing, there's a shocker huh?

Ok god help us all... 5 is done..... I rushed to many parts in this one, technically this should have been 2 chapters not 1.. But after the torrent of e-mails, deadlines (which I missed, sorry), and threats to my life (gee, nice fans huh **-__-'** just kidding) I have actually finished this part. Sorry about the last ending, but I am afraid I left a cliff hanger on this one too.... I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.. Well there is a little bit of taiora in this one.. Tai thinks a bit too... and Sephiroth is revealed! (For those of you who didn't already know... it was a bit obvious ^_^) well bring on the charcoal because here it is.... genesis part 5 in all its sucky glory.

Mail me at: [logan91235@aol.com][1]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_Genesis_**

**5**

  
  
  
  


by Logan

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**"Shadows of the past"**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_'Taichi... I have a name now... my mission has been achieved.. I know.. The memory comes to me in a strange manner... I see what I once knew for the first time.. I was a fighter.. This I already knew though... but the side I fought for was once for good... Now I fight for evil..._

  
  


_I am the one who walks alone... in the shadow of humanity.. In the wake of the empire... in the darkness... that is where I dwell, where I was born and raised... it is my place.._

  
  


_I have discovered a key to my old life... the girl who I know within the heart I never knew I possessed... she is my light.. I find myself as a child before her...seeing her as a child. Her name was what struck me... I learned from Collin that it means the place where heaven meets the sky.. They named her well.. We are enemies.. I for the empire.. And her for the dawn... but she looks at me with love.. And... I return the gaze... for so long love has been no more then a word to me.. A useless adjective that fails me in every respect.. Yet now as I look down upon her tender and breathtaking face I feel this word as though it were emblazoned upon my soul..._

  
  
  
  


_For so long I had preyed for my life to be illuminated again to me... I was a fool... as I look upon Sora I feel things that I should not feel.. Guilt... I have murdered thousands... I have killed, and tortured, and burned away the innocent as well as the guilty... and as I look at the angel of my old life I find hatred for what I am... I can't see it all yet.. But I do see something in the memory that was once a part of me.. Innocence.. I didn't posses it long.. In the old life I see blood upon my hands.. But also, farther back, I see beauty too... and that beauty now sleeps within my arms..._

  
  
  
  
  
  


Genesis paused as he glanced down at her... she was beautiful... His hand no longer ached from her blade.. But there was a new pain as he held her sleeping frame in his arms.. He had missed so much.. He had seen her as a child.. And now he can see her as a woman... but he missed the metamorphosis.... genesis had never known these feelings... to hold her.. It was strange, someone who has never known love suddenly feels the deepest and most true love in one heartbeat. His mind was alive with emotions as he stroked her hair... she cooed softly to his touch.. Seeking out the warmth of his fingertips with a deep longing. He allowed his scared hands to touch her... caress her... they glided across her soft cheek with the depth of a solitary shadow. They drew tiny patterns upon her with a strange pleasure genesis was only recently coming to know.

  
  


They had talked for hours into the night and then to the morning... eventually she simply curled up against him and fell asleep. She trusted him so deeply.. He was a killer.. And she happily nuzzled against him within her sleep. He felt memories flood back to him with a slow and yet constant trickle.. Most were of faces... Sora helped him remember... not as much by description, or by giving him a name to know them by, though she did do that a little... the real key was to touch her.. Or to be close to her.. It was as though proximity to Sora was able to unlock the memory...

That is what genesis had discovered about his alter ego known as tai: Sora was a key.. She unlocked bits and pieces of what he never dreamed he would come to possess... humanity. The idea frightened him as something new might inspire fear due to the uncertainty of it.

  
  


He winced as he recalled the evening... she had thrown her arms around him so tightly that even the genesis strain infused bones would snap like twigs under her touch... she had pulled away and asked why he wasn't hugging her back... when he told her he didn't remember her... 

  
  


he shuddered as he recalled the look... she understood why he couldn't... but she had cried softly.. And as she cried he knew her... he must have known her... known and loved her.. Because as she whimpered softly in his arms he broke.. He wanted to cry with her.. And for the most part he was incapable of tears... but he knew her.. He knew that he could trust her... that he must defend her... and that a part of him would die for her... she was able to speak to the ghost within him.. And genesis marveled at the specter... the side of himself that miraculously knew what to do with Sora.. How to cease her tears...

  
  


He embraced her softly.

  
  


_I walk alone through life.. Through the darkness... Thus is the call of the dark prince... he shall walk the edge of light and dark. Of evil and of good.. And he shall walk that path alone.. And he shall be the one to usher in a new beginning for the worlds... a dark genesis. _

  
  


_it is my destiny.. That is what Dayus had told me when I once asked for my fortune... I was so young then... new to the power... I suppose if this life had a childhood, that would have been it... yet now I have spent years with the genesis power... Dayus cannot see into me anymore.... the dark powers overwhelm his capacity to see into my destiny. too bad.. I would like him to read my fortune again.._

  
  


_He read it for me before... yet now that I remember my life.... does that mean I have altered my destiny... does that mean I may actually avoid the grim future of a life of shadow and solitude... does that mean... I could be Taichi once more?_

  
  


****"**Upon my lips I should taste the blood which I spilled upon the cold earth**

**upon my hand I should experience their grip as they faced death with trembling hands**

**upon my chest I should feel the brides of those I killed clinging sorrowfully to their husbands**

**upon my eyes I should see the lives that I have ceased**

**upon my ears I should hear the cries of their children**

**upon my mind I should remember the faces of those who shall never be looked upon again**

**upon my heart I should suffer the grief at what I have done**

**I should regret....**"

  
  
  
  


_I forget the poet.. But.. It was written for me... I should feel sorrow at what I have done.. Yet I have two hearts.. One is the heart of Taichi.. The other.. Is the genesis... a weapon... the tool of Armageddon and creation in one... my destiny... I don't know where my life stands... am I a hero or a villain... am I a destroyer? Or a creator? Am I evil? And... will I be held responsible...'_

  
  


"Tai?" he was broken from his thoughts by the soft voice of Sora.. She looked at him softly from where he had thought her asleep... he normally would have known.. The breathing is different in sleep.. The muscles, more relaxed... he assumed it was the result of his current mind set that caused his failure to notice.. Yet... he knew it was a lie.. He felt comfortable with this lady Kamiya. Somehow his body knew he could be at ease with her... it was poetic... she somehow was able to bring peace to him.

  
  


"I thought you were asleep..." he murmured softly in a tone he was unaware of previously using.

  
  


"No... just thinking...."

  
  


"About?"

  
  


"Well it's like god finally remembered me.. Like he decided he would make everything up to me... first I get you back.. And with your help... we can stop the emperor and destroy his empire! The war could finally end!" Sora smiled happily until she looked upon genesis's darkened eyes...

  
  
  
  


"I can't help you Sora..." he replied coldly. Sora stared at him quizzically as she moved away from him with a look of shock and hurt...

  
  


"But tai... you remember..."

  
  


"My name is genesis... and yes I do... but... I stopped being Taichi when he died. Now I am part Taichi and I am also genesis... The emperor's brother..." he turned away... 

  
  


"But how!?! you remember yourself.. You remember US!" tears filled her scarlet eyes..

  
  


"Yes..." he choked out in a voice of sorrow. 

  
  


" I remember you Sora Takenouchi... and I remember that..... that I loved you... for that reason I will not let him kill you... but ken is my brother, not by blood, but he is my family...."

  
  


"DAMMIT GENESIS, YOU HAVE A FAMILY ALREADY!!!" she snarled

  
  


he was taken aback by the comment... but continued.

  
  


"I love ken.. He is my brother.. Sora... I can't help you kill him... please..... How can I choose one person I love over another... the life of my brother or the life of the woman I love..." Sora paused as she looked at him.. He had turned to face her with tears in his eyes.. Sora stared at him silently.. He looked so much like tai... the hair was different now.. But it still glistened the same brown... he was Taichi... the same Taichi she had loved before... But.. He was also genesis...

  
  
  
  


"I love you... I lost you once... and losing you taught me just how much I need you... I hate ken for what he has done to us all... he has killed and tortured and done the most horrible things I have ever seen in my life.... I will kill him.... he must pay for what he has done... but... I won't ask you to be a part of it... I couldn't ask you to kill a brother..." she whispered softly as she looked at him. It was a silent understanding that it had taken all his strength to refuse her once... if she asked him again.. He would comply...

  
  


" I have been hurting for so long.. I have lost so many... I don't think I could live with causing you to lose someone you care about... genesis..."

  
  


He looked at her with a strange gaze.. She wanted ken dead more then anything.. But she was willing to take up a losing battle to spare him the pain of betraying his brother. His memories were few still... yet he did know that this was because she loved him.. She looked at him with a sad smile...

  
  


"Sora... you can call me tai..." he smiled to her.

  
  


A slow smile spread across her angelic face. As she grinned at him he felt something new... a strange need within himself that he had never known before her... by instinct alone he drew nearer to her.. His hands hesitantly took their place upon the small of her back as he began to draw nearer to her. Their eyes locked as he recalled a memory... he saw himself as he kissed her for the first time.. It was no real kiss... yet to them it was... Taichi felt tears burn in his eyes as the memory came flooding back to him... the image of Sora from the other side of the plated glass... the tears he had shed for what might have been.... Sora hadn't gone into detail about his death... she had avoided the issue... and now he knew why... his heart ached for her as he suddenly cast aside the restraint he had previously been hindered by. Sora gasped in shock as she felt his lips touch hers in their first true kiss...

  
  


Her eyes slowly sank closed as she allowed herself to immures herself into his lips.. He was all she had hoped for... their lips danced against eachother in a impassioned combat where both forces were victors.. His tongue caressed her hot moth in passionate ministrations as Sora swooned. They were both so innocent to lust.. Sora had refused herself the love of a man as she felt it would betray Taichi.. And genesis refused his own pursuers by some unknown force which he now knew to be Sora... they hadn't expected this.. Yet they could not deny the obvious attractions they each felt..

  
  


He had so many questions.. He was only vaguely aware of who he had been... of the relationship to this girl he had never before met, yet loved with all his heart... he tried to break away, yet found he could not... some force held him to her as her soft hands slid through his hair. The genesis was at her mercy.. And she his... they had been denied so much in their new lives...

  
  


She was a leader... isolated from all others by her position...

  
  


He was a weapon... the most powerful and feared tool of destruction ever to exist... 

  
  


He knew so little about himself or about her.... but he did know that this felt right.. More right then anything he had ever known.. He needed her.... Needed her lips.. Needed her touch... needed her love...

  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  


The room was of blackened stone and twisted iron.. The metal was strong, and yet it seemed aged and darkened as the burned steel of a blacksmith's shop would be. It was dark and demonic as it protruded up from the rocky ground as long hooked claws ready to snatch away human morsels.

  
  


The air was thick of sulfur and the tangy aroma of burning flesh... the concoction of stench was so potent that it burned both the lungs and the eyes... it was the smell you would expect in hell.. And ironically that was the decorum of the vast labyrinth known as the Pit. Dayus had been given domain over this hellish land... On the outskirts of the empire's capital the prison was a grim figure upon the landscape.. It was fashioned by the interior decorate of hell, Dayus himself. He had chosen to alter this landscape to make it more fitting for the final resting place of the damned.. He chose hell... the biblical location for suffering and damnation.. Basically Dayus to a 'T'

  
  


the lord of plague had dominion over much more then this prison.... but he preferred it here... it was his home away from home.. A place filled with fire jets and burning rivers of magma courtesy of a Drimogamon who was charged with sacrificing his life in the effort of creating a spring from the tributaries of lava which flow deep within the earth's mantle.

  
  


The burning springs trailed the complex as a great moat of burning death... also, the lava provided Dayus with a series of other such luxurious for the art of creating hell on earth.

  
  


The sulfur of the water had distilled to make a vast sea of poisons and toxic black gasses which would billow outward from the gaping jaws of the prison... the complex was subterranean as to prevent escape... there were no escapes however...

  
  


Like a great hive of insects the catacombs of tunnels and lava rivers stretched onward. The cells were no more thin gaping wounds in the Stoney wall. They gleamed darkly in the light as thousands of blackish gaping jaws of stone and iron bars... and behind those jaws waited the damned.. "criminals of varying degrees." they sang out to him... sang out as a choir of screams... Dayus enjoyed the music of the artificial hell... it made him feel at home..

  
  


He was a demon in more ways than any of the other lords.. Genesis is called the demon prince.. And Grendle looks like a demon.. But neither of the two were Dayus.. His power was mysterious to many... he could enter the mind of a normal human with effortless action.. He could create webs of illusions.. Horrific images fed directly into the mind of his victims.. And god help he who Dayus enters... men were known to claw their skin away, haunted by images of clawing and gashing insects or serpents who were scuttling about beneath the skin...

  
  


How do you call a victim of life guilty. Dayus was the result of his injury... watching your arms pulled from your body in slow and demonic hours of torture... Being so disturbed that you would pluck the eyes from the socket... Dayus was a creation of the empire.. Yet he bore it no ill will.. For from his shattered mind he loved the empire... loved the blessed opportunities he was granted to further his art...

  
  


He had once been an artist of sorts... before the end of the world he was a sculptor of great prestige. Ironically his sculptures were things of beauty and hope.. But after his arms were taken his craft was killed... yet.. Upon the addition of his taloned hands he was able to continue his art... only now it was a masterpiece of atrocity...

  
  


After torturing his victim to the edge of death and beyond the threshold of agony and madness he would incorporate them to his masterpiece...

  
  


Within the center of the pit it stood... a mountain of horror encircled by a steam of burning magma. The sculpture was his throne.. A great cushioned throne sitting surrounded by his 'art.' By using a process of dumping white hot chrome over his victims, then cooling it he was able to create horrific sculptures of evil. They were still locked in their final postures... expressions of terror and agony etched upon their metalic features. The chrome bath preserved them eternally. His quaint concept of damnation. Staring out over the ghastly room with the soulless steel eyes of a preserved corpse... most were alive when he chose to add them... but the thousands of human and digimon sculptures formed a great mountain of hell which led up to the throne where he would sit.... at the throne's side, holding it in place was the horrified faces of four young children who were among his first to be altered...

  
  


They stared on with thousands of horrific and hellish visages... screaming in horror as they felt the searing touch of the burning metal.. There were thousands of them. each unique in both agony and in features.. Men, women, children, and digimon of all breeds and levels were incorporated... into Dayus's shrine to hell... to his hell..

  
  


The throne sat atop the piles of silvery offers to hell with a vast and winding stairwell from floor to thrown... it was massive in it's girth and it's touch... any who looked upon the shrine of hell knew fear... true terror locked in steel. There were sporadic spears of impaled humans... also locked in silver... he had taken up the task of depicting every form of death... some of the victims were impaled by swords.. Or bore gaping holes in their bodies from various artillery. And among his more artistic was a man being ripped apart by wolves who were also locked in hellish silver. He had done all from crucifixion to burning a silvery man within one of the flame geysers... he was quite creative in his art.

  
  


The burning dawn wanted the emperor and his lords dead to stop his rule... they wanted Dayus dead to save the world... many who were convicted of a crime against the empire chose suicide over Dayus... and for good reason...

  
  
  
  


He approached the young man... his sickle claws twitched with anticipation of slicing through another victim. He liked to toy with his prey before killing them.. To prolong their agony... stretch it to its utmost. It was the key to getting the most expressiveness when it was time to add them to the shrine... he was chuckling softly as he slowly made his way to the bound young man. He was shirtless and bore a deep array of wounds from previous taskmasters.. Yet he was now ready for Dayus... his breath came in horrified gasps as he stared with quivering lips at the figure who drew nearer...

  
  


"Hello..." Dayus chuckled softly in a sinister tone.. The man mearly whimpered in reply.

  
  


"I can see into you... you stink of terror... I think I will have to show you the real meaning of the word..." he smirked as he traced a claw across the man's chest, cutting a tiny gash where the blade traveled... Dayus was pleased to find tears began leaking from his horrified eyes..

  
  


"You know what? Your future is black... black like a corpse's skin... ironic... soon you will be just that... another deadman to decorate my throne room..." Dayus grinned.. He loved giving them a coming attraction to the hell that was awaiting. 

  
  


"Do you know what it feels like? To have burning chrome poured over your flesh while you are still alive enough to feel it.. It is only a minute before I would cool the chrome.. Crushing your bones as the hot changes to cold so rapidly... but my god... it will seem like a year.. Feeling your skin melt under the white hot metal... soon you will know that pain... the feel of your flesh as it sizzles under the fire... you will have just enough time to make a pose of agony... a pose worthy of my art..."

  
  


At one point Dayus had all newcomers to the Pit received their orientation in his throne room... yet due to almost 100% suicide the first night of their stay... he chose to only initiate a few... show them the horrors of his art, then return them to their peers so they could describe it...

  
  


"I bet you would like to try and escape huh? Well alright..." Dayus swiped away the rope which held him to the pyre... it fell to the ground as would a decapitated serpent.. The man was still held in place by fear.. Yet managed to break into a run for the exit... this impressed him... most were too terrified to run... he would have fun with this piece of meat he smirked.

  
  


He loved to hunt his prey....

  
  


As the man was to the doorway a crack of thunder roared in the still, dank air. There was a flash of red mist as the man was split in two.. Time moved slowly as he died instantly, yet his torso, complete with spilled entrails flew through the air until coming to a sickening thud upon the charcoal black ground..

  
  


Dayus sighed in defeat as he watched lady kale appear from the shadows.. Her heat rod was glowing a sinister red.. As it squirmed as a serpent on the ground.. The steely coils danced on the cold ground before being retracted into the shape of a strange sword-like rod... heat rods are keyed to their user's mind.. By use of neural implant kale was able to move the whip-like weapon with the same effort one may use to move a limb.

  
  


She smirked happily as she used the rod as a walking stick. She made her way to him with seductive movements as she seemingly glided... her blond hair glistened like spun gold in the dim light of the fire pits. Dayus was beyond attraction to her... his black heart was only kindled to flame by the cries of death.. Or the bloody wounds his claws could administer. But he was aware she was beautiful.. In a sinister way she was a goddess...

  
  


"Why did you kill him? He died far to fast then to be any fun for me..."

  
  


" I could care less torturer. I wanted your undivided attention.. That means killing off any distraction..."

  
  


"My... you are in a simply charming mood, milady.." he bowed dramatically.

  
  


"I came to ask what happened when you touched that bitch's mind... you have never once had any problems entering a mind other then ours..." she snarled

  
  


"First: I am sure she has a name other then bitch, lady Kamiya I believe.. Or better yet, Sora....

  
  


And second: I am able to enter all minds except the emperor and his brother, and in some ways Sephiroth... genesis power is a natural nullifier to my own... thus the genesis knight and the emperor, due to his ring, are beyond me... Sephiroth I can see into with some effort... he is just harder to read... I am not permitted to read the minds of the lords under the emperor's orders.. Unless the lord gives me permission that is..." he replied smugly

  
  


"Well... why couldn't you see into the Kamiya bitch then?" she snapped

  
  


" I could, for a time...

  
  


That is how I learned of her name.. And bits and pieces of her destiny... yet.. When I touched a part of her mind she had hidden... she was somehow able to overpower me.. It was troubling.. The image of the boy she loved and continues to love is what triggered it. He was the key to it..

  
  


It is as though she bore some bond to the genesis power... I hit a sore subject and she was able to tap into the power to throw me out... she is a unnaturally strong even for a child of the digital... perhaps she was even a digidestined once...."

  
  


"There are no more digidestined... they died out when the worlds merged to one. You know that! If there was an actual digidestined alive... don't you think the emperor would have killed them!"

  
  


she was slightly unnerved by the accusation he made... the digidestined were a class above the children of the digital... they were a power fabled to topple empires and challenge gods.. They had been employed since the beginning of the digital world to defend it.. The chosen... chosen by the order of light to defend against all evils... it was rumored that there were digidestined.. That somehow there were even children of the digital who evolved to the position...

  
  


" regardless... she was somehow able to throw me from her... I have never felt a power such as that... it was like I was a child to her... she threw me out without effort... I fear the repercussions if she were able to master that power.. If she were able to use it against us... I only mentioned the digidestined because they were fabled to possess godlike power from certain traits in themselves... I believe some of the stronger powers were: courage, love, hope, and light... " 

  
  


"I would expect this from Grendle... he is the one with all the nostalgic ideas of loyalty and courage... that or genesis..." she softened as she mentioned the last name.

  
  


Dayus groaned. 

  
  


"Which brings us to the second thing you wanted....

  
  


You want me to divine your future... tell you the key to winning the heart of the demon prince..." he chuckled.

  
  


"I thought you weren't allowed to read our minds..." he mearly chuckled at her

  
  


" I can only see the destinies for you.. His are beyond me... but I can help you..." He began swaying to nonexisting music as his long black hair danced in the wind.

  
  


"You fight a battle you could never win... the one you seek has two hearts... one of darkness, one of light... you hold none... the soul of darkness is beyond the touch of human hands.. Yet the soul of light is held by the one destined to kill the genesis... "lady kale paled

  
  


"In time the twin hearts shall beat as one.. And through their union genesis shall perish... but from the ashes of the demon he shall be resurrected anew... 

  
  


Your rival shall win over you... You are a being of darkness... while she walks the edge of light and dark with him.. She can touch his heart in ways you cannot..."

  
  


Dayus looked to kale who was visibly troubled by his commentary...

  
  


"You can't defeat her kale... she will win his heart... simply because she will return his heart to him."

  
  


Her eyes darkened...

  
  


"That's simple Dayus... to win.. I must simply kill her.. How can she return his heart of humanity to him if she is already dead?" she chuckled sinisterly.

  
  


"Glad I could be of service... please tell the guard to send in another playmate... I really should do a bit more work on my art...." he chuckled evilly.

  
  


"Very well..."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  


Sora smiled softly as she studied him.. He seemed happy and content... he wasn't yet ready to reclaim his name.. Though he had given her permission to call him by it. She understood why he was hesitant to accept it... for as he would become Taichi once more he would be made to accept all that came with the name. The life that was once his would clash with what he had now. But Sora was not without hope. He was still new to his old life, it would take time for him to reclaim all the memories he had once possessed. Sora estimated it would take months for him to fully remember his whole life... but she knew tai was worth any wait. She had waited years already.

  
  


He stirred slowly only to find a pair of loving red eyes upon him. He smiled softly to her as he awoke from his silence. His hand slowly touched her cheek lovingly as he murmured a soft comment about how beautiful she was. It was obvious the memory he had been focusing on was a good one by the way he was acting tword her.

  
  


"Where were you just then?" she questioned as his smile broadened at the question.

  
  


"You were five and utterly enraged at your mom for something... so you decided to run away from home.. You didn't want me to come along, but I was worried you would get lost so I started to cry until you agreed that I could run away with you too." Sora's eyes lit up as she recalled the image of the young tai crying to come with her.

  
  


"I remember now!" she laughed happily.

  
  


"You were so cute when you cried. I remember that we spent three hours walking around the block over and over again because we weren't allowed to cross the street." Sora grinned.

  
  


"It's kinda cool remembering things from my old life. As I think back, I guess I was pretty happy with you.... for the most part."

  
  


Sora caught the hint of sorrow at the comment. She knew what was coming next.. Knew and was not relishing opening the oldest of wounds...

  
  


"You.. Never dated since me?"

  
  


"No." she replied sharply.

  
  


"Not even yamato?" He regretted mentioning the name he had only recently became reacquainted with. This was one of the cases where he was happier not remembering... matt... the boy he hated... he had possessed Sora for so long.. Possessed and loved her. It still stung...

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Matt was gone the second you told me that you loved me...my heart began and ended with you Taichi.. Matt couldn't come close to matching what I felt for you..."

  
  


"Is he a part of the burning dawn?"

  
  


"Matt left us all right after you died... he abandoned his own brother and his friends..

  
  


When the emperor attacked the digital world during the second digital war we would hear of a lone digidestined fighting now and again... the reports were sketchy, but we assumed it was matt.. After a while we just stopped hearing about him.. We assume he was killed by the empire.. Or maybe he lived long enough to die in the emperor's siege of earth... but we know he is dead..

Matt was a powerful digidestined... if he were still alive we would have gotten word of a powerful digital human... but we have heard nothing about someone matt's level for years..." Sora's voice was dark as she spoke of yamato...

  
  


"Any regrets with him?"

  
  


"Yeah...

  
  


He left his own brother to die in a fight against the emperor... I have serious regrets with him.. I regret I couldn't snap that son of a bitch's neck."

  
  


Genesis stared at her with a soft remembrance of the girl he had known. Once there was a Sora who would never dream of hurting anyone.. Especially someone who was once a friend.. But that Sora was gone.. Washed away in the bloody tides of war... she was the great lady Kamiya... not the innocent and naive Sora Takenouchi.. Perhaps they were more similar then he had once thought... she too now had a darkness within her... but still, he was drawn to her.

  
  


"Earlier you said something that I have been meaning to ask you..." Sora seemed welcome to a change of subject...as she quickly asked him what he was wondering about.

  
  


"Earlier you said I already had a family...."

  
  


Sora paused sadly.. She wasn't looking forward to the inevitable question that she now faced...

  
  


"Yes.... you have a younger sister... her name is Kari."

  
  


Genesis paled at the name... he had known of the general known as Hikari... the sorceress... she was among the empire's greater threats... a being who can enter minds like Dayus... but also is capable of bending reality to suit her needs.. The sorceress was a figure of fear and hatred through the empire... as was lady Kamiya... the more Taichi remembered it became steadily more obvious that his two lives would not mesh.. Every new memory he possessed clashed with the life he had made as genesis..

  
  


"Seriously? Damn... do I have anyone I knew who isn't now technically a mortal enemy?

  
  


Are my parents part of the burning dawn too?!?" his laughter was silenced by Sora's dark expression..

  
  


"You don't have parents anymore..." she said softly.

  
  


"What?..."

  
  


"When ken first attacked the earth he made it a point to kill thousands as a way of showing he was for real....

  
  


In one day thousands of thousands cried out, and were silenced.. It is the way of the empire.. And why I hate it.. Because among those who were silenced were our parents. Both your mother and father and my mother were killed within the first wave.

  
  


When ken descended from the digital world your parents came to try to protect my mother who was alone in her shop... but the city was one chosen to be eradicated... the digimon came to us as a swarm of demons... they killed and burned thousands.. For what it's worth to you.. Your father died a hero.. He tried to save our mothers from a tyranomon... he was killed of corse... My mother was burned to death...but yours managed to escape the fire... she was caught in the apartment's collapse...

  
  


I had gotten there too late.. When we arrived the brunt of the assault was over.. I saw my mom as she lay there.. She was burned and buried... but as I was about to leave... I heard someone call me by name. When I looked... I saw the face of your mother.. 

  
  


Oh god tai... if your parents had stayed in their building they would have lived.. The emperor's forces never made it there.. We were able to stop them at our part of the city...

  
  


But regardless... we found her.. Brought her to our temporary base... she was hurt too badly... she had internal bleeding that we couldn't stop.. Kari was able to say goodbye to her before she was asked to leave. Your mom didn't want her there when she died...

  
  


I held her hand when she died.. And.... she asked about you.

  
  


She asked why you weren't there with us when we brought her back...

  
  
  
  


I lied to her tai... I couldn't tell her you were killed.. So I just told her that you were out saving people.. And that we weren't able to reach you... But she made me promise to tell you something when I saw you next... even though I knew it was pointless, since you were gone, I memorized it" Sora paused as she wiped tears from her eyes.

  
  
  
  
  
  


_"Son, I just want you to know that I love you. We were always proud of you.. And though I wish I could say goodbye to you in person I know you are out doing what's right and good.. Just like I always expected of you.. You are a hero tai... my little boy is a hero. Someone who would give his life to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I want you to know that I always have, and will love you. I was always proud that you were my child.. And even though I won't get to see you again, I want you to know that I will always be here in your heart... goodbye, my little Taichi...." _

  
  
  
  


Sora finished quoting her and turned her attention to the boy. He had tears in his tender chocolate eyes as he stared at the ground intent on not losing control and bursting into tears. Genesis was unable to cry.. He could not mourn the loss of life.. Yet as he drew a hand to his cheek he found them wet with tears.. Perhaps there was more tai in him then he had previously thought.

  
  


"I.. I never knew her... I can barely remember her now... then why is it hurting me so much to know that she is gone?..." Sora ran to him and threw her arms around him.

  
  


Something in genesis snapped as he felt her arms make their way around his slim frame. Some part of him knew that he needed Sora now.. Needed her to help him remember... needed her to hold him, to comfort him, to love him... he cried his heart out as she held him to her. His head slid down to her lap where he mourned the loss of his parents for the first time... her hands tenderly stroked his soft hair as he continued to take solace in her arms.. In her..

  
  


"It just hurts because even with the genesis... you are still tai... and tai was the most caring and loving boys I have ever known... I love you Taichi...."

  
  


"I love you Sora." he returned.

  
  


The two spent hours like that.. Sora was amazed by how good it felt to comfort him. She had been needed for so long by so many, yet now she was needed by the one person she hadn't been there for in the past. She continued to slowly stroke his hair as he allowed himself to shed tears for the parents he never knew.

  
  
  
  


"Hey tai... you free today?" she replied after his sobs had subsided.

  
  


"Yeah.... why?"

  
  


"Well I want to confirm something... I am almost 100% sure I am right.. But I was hoping to get a technical analysis of your genetic makeup from one of my tech specialists."

  
  


"You have a truly disturbed concept of a date.." he quipped

  
  


"Well... ok a needle is not exactly the most fun... but we really should get an idea of what genetically, is dominant:"

  
  


"But, I've had all that done here..." he whined, thoroughly unenthusiastic about the idea of getting a blood work up. 

  
  


"But you had it done by the imperial scientists... I don't trust the empire for an honest reply..." she snarled bitterly.

  
  


"Why would they lie to me?" he asked softly.

  
  


"Because they may know what I know.. That there is more Taichi in you then they would like to admit." she stroked his cheek softly "what could it hurt?"

  
  


"As you wish.. But when you learn that there is nothing more to me then a weapon, try not to be hurt by the truth..."

  
  


"Dammit, for the last time.. You are not just a weapon! But, alright, I'll try if you do."

  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  


_I am he who walks alone... what have I managed to get myself into.. I told her I loved her... I know a part of me does love her, yet how can I admit to myself that I love. How can half a soul love while the other hates? Sora evokes things in me, or does she put them there? Would I love without her?_

  
  


_Am I destined to kill? Or.. Do I already know that answer... am I lying to myself with all this playing nice crap? Yes.... genetics are irrelevant.. I know my heart.. It calls to me, sings of darkness and blood.._

  
  


_Sora means the world to me, yet I still hear the call... the voice of the destroyer sings to me... I know I am tai.. But I know I am genesis... I long for combat... for war.... for darkness_

  
  


the air was thick with a variety of spices. They were thick and exotic. Tai breathed in the aroma.. It was strangely floral... not unlike Sora's scent which the genesis could detect as a bloodhound could distinguish a single wafting aroma in the wind. Tai detected the sugary scent of jasmine and heather in the air... they were dominant as they were being burned for incense by one of the peddlers. 

  
  


Genesis was heightened in senses... for this reason he tended to shy away from the open market. Though he did enjoy the humanity of it all, his heightened olfactory sense and capacity to hear could become overwhelmed if not guarded against. But some things were worth it.. Sora had contacted her resident genius, yet she had chosen a relatively late meeting time.. This intrigued the naturally curious genesis who was wondering what she had in mind to spend a day doing.

  
  


For the time being it appeared shopping was her main goal. He was constantly guessing with this lady Kamiya.... she would leap from one extreme to another. On one side she was a brutal warrior.. The next she reminded him of a teenage girl who was happily awing at all the pretty things that were for sale in the vast labyrinth of shops.

  
  


Taichi was able to forget himself for a time with her.. Push off the knowledge that despite her efforts.. He was a destroyer. He walked to where she was flagging him over only to find her awing over the display of an elderly Indian gentlemen. The man was dressed in a lavish green cloak that advertised he had found some success in the trade industry. He wore a thick silvery beard which complemented his richly colored skin. He wore a simple turban of white cloth which hung neatly against his head. His voice was a deep and yet a strangely kind tone, most likely an asset in instilling trust in those he wished to part from their money.

  
  


Tai glanced down upon the cloth covered table. Like a hundred glistening stars of various hues the trinkets shimmered upward in the midday light. There were various pins, necklaces, and broaches.. They appeared to be quite regal as they glistened like polished glass. They were entwined with gold or other such metals in intricate artwork. The jewelry was quite beautiful...

  
  


"My, such a lovely young lady." he motioned to Sora "surly this lucky young man would buy her something to accentuate her beauty..." he lifted a diamond studded necklace.

  
  


"I believe this would go quite well with your complection young miss.... never was a finer stone crafted.." he offered the trinket to their examination. Yet was slightly taken off as Sora and tai exchanged a light chuckle.

  
  


"does it not please you miss?" he asked with slight question

  
  


"No, it is quite beautiful... but also quite fake"

  
  


"I would never!" he was cut off by genesis who smirked 

  
  


" there are shot glasses who are more diamond-like..."

  
  


"Also... there is that 'made in china' which is scratched out on the left side of the brace" Sora smiled.

  
  


He was slightly taken back by the comments of the two teenagers.

  
  


"My.. You both are quite good at identifying a false diamond... but since you are so adept at distinguishing true from false.. Perhaps this could catch your interest..."

  
  


He reached to the table and withdrew a simple pendent. It was bound by a black cord to a black onyx colored dragon. The creature was curled into the shape of the infinity symbol. It was carved quite well, and the strong stone was not marred by a mis placed chisel strike.

  
  
  
  


"Though not quite as showy as some of my other trinkets.. You shall find no greater then this..The Dragon's tear. It was carved from a fragment of the stone of destiny just before it was destroyed in the digital wars.. It is fabled to posses great power... A steal at a mere six hundred golds... but for you two, I'll price it down to a solid five hundred..."

  
  


"Tai.. It looks authentic.. That is the right type of stone for the stone of destiny..."

  
  


"If it is.. It belongs in a museum, not a shop.." tai commented as he drew nearer

  
  


"I'll give you fifty gold for it."

  
  


"You must be joking! It is easily worth eighty times that!"

  
  


"Yes it is... but.. For fifty I would overlook the emperor's private insignia upon some of your more... authentic trinkets..." tai smiled evilly as he reached to his side and drew the genesis mask to his face for a moment before returning it to its pouch. The man paled as his hands began to tremble.

  
  


"You know.. The emperor only puts his insignia on some of his personal trappings.. Meaning that since you have them.. They are stolen.. And that is a very serious offense.. One worthy of incarceration at the pit...."

  
  


The peddler turned a ghastly white as he handed tai the necklace before hastily refusing tai's gold pieces.. He simply began to hastily draw up his wares before fleeing.. They had never seen someone move that fast.

  
  


He smiled at her softly as she chuckled a comment about how she could get used to the perks of dating the genesis knight. She fingered the necklace softly as she kissed his cheek. It was nice.. Just being in the middle of all these people and not being feared as genesis.. They were just another young couple...

  
  


"Here Sora... I think this would look better on you.." he replied as he slipped the necklace over her head. She gasped lightly as she felt the cool stone against her skin.

  
  


"But you said it belonged in a museum..." she awed

  
  


"I was wrong.. It belongs with you...lady Kamiya." his lips softly touched hers as they continued to make their way down the abustle marketplace.

  
  


The day passed slowly as tai and Sora continued to play normal.. It was strange for Sora as she looked at him.. He wasn't like the tai he had once been.. He was much more serious.. And things now seemed so distant to him.. The ideas and inclinations of humanity were alien to him. But there were moments where Sora would catch him looking upon something as a child would with awe. That was a quality common to tai. He had always marveled at things as a child.. Though he was far from innocent, he always had that trait... that is what proved to her that this was tai. Maybe he was just off the track... but he was still tai...

  
  
  
  


"Where are we going now?" He asked softly

  
  


"I have been meaning to check in with a friend who lives near here." she replied as she continued to make her way forward through the crowd. Genesis glanced up to the hot midday sun which rained down on them with the gentle touch of heat. It had been a good day so far... he was amazed by just how good a day it was in fact... he felt free with her.. Despite the fact that the darkness was always there, he was almost human with her...

  
  


"Who's your friend?"

  
  


Sora smiled lightly

  
  


"Her name's Aeris... she was orphaned during the first wave of the emperor's assault on earth. She's a powerful child of the digital. For a time I was debating assimilating her into the burning dawn... but she doesn't have the same hatred for the empire that we do... so I decided I would just set her up with a job and keep watch over her. Hate can ruin a person.. You would know that... but Aeris doesn't have a mean bone in her body... I couldn't let her sacrifice that part of herself... like so many others have...."

  
  


Tai caught the sadness in her voice as she said that... it was obvious to him that she hated what she had become. Hated the loss of her own innocence..

  
  


"Sora... I feel something in me that I think was tai... he was proud of you for what you have given up as leader... I'm not sure if that helps...but I do think he was proud of you" Sora smiled sadly.

  
  


"It helps..."

  
  


As they drew nearer to Sora's friend's shop they saw a young girl with sand-castle blond hair. The young child was crying softly as she sadly played with a array of crushed flowers still bound to the earth through their crushed stalks. The girl was no older then seven.. She had a soft and childish face with a small and cute nose along with soft pinkish lips. Her skin was the hue of soft ivory blended with the pinkish flush of a rose on her round cheeks. She wore a light pink dress which was swaying softly in the hot midday sun.. There was a vague similarity in appearance between this girl and one he once knew... he glanced over to find Sora running to her as a mother would run to her child in times of tears. The girl glanced up and in a second recognized her.. She too bounded up from her place to Sora in three great steps. She flung herself into her arms with limitless enthusiasm as Sora began to calm her tears with all she could. Tai stood there unsure of what to do in this situation... this was obviously a very human moment.. Something he would be less qualified to handle.. Thus he just hung back and listened.

  
  


"Oh god, Aeris.. What happened? Why are you crying?"

  
  
  
  


"Sora... there was a fight.. And all my flowers were trampled when the soldiers came..." the girl sobbed..

  
  


_Flowers?... why is that so familiar? A girl.. A girl who works at a flower shop..._

_It's almost like I remember...... something...._

  
  
  
  


"Oh.. It's ok sweetie.. Lets take a look at them... I'm sure they'll be ok.." she soothed.

  
  


"NO THEY WON'T! They're all dead..." she cried bitterly against Sora's embrace...

  
  


_Why is she so sad? They're just flowers...._

  
  


"Oh sweetie... they were just crushed a bit.. They'll grow back... " Sora's words were soothing, yet the young child took little solace in them... she was crying bitterly as she cast an occasional glance to the mangled remains of what once was a very beautiful little garden... as tai glanced down he saw various petals laying upon the brown soil like lifeless corpses... they were dead.. He was good at distinguishing death from life... so either Sora was wrong (which he doubted) or she was simply trying to coddle the child... but as he glanced to lady Kamiya he saw something in her that he was previously unaware of.. She was so caring... it was obvious as she stroked the child's hair... she felt the young girl's pain as her own...

  
  


By a strange force which he did not fully comprehend he made his way to the flower bed... he knelt at its boundary as he scooped up a handful of rich brown earth.. He allowed the soil to run through his fingers slowly as he glanced over to the two girls who were now staring intently at the silent young man.. Sora cast him a questioning glance as to what he was doing.. Instead of returning the gaze, he simply returned to the soil...

  
  


He removed his black gloves slowly and deposited them gently upon the cobblestone ground underfoot. He stretched his scared hands over the earth... his eyes slowly slid shut as Aeris stopped crying and joined Sora in staring at the strange young man.. His hands began to tremble slightly as a strange golden light began to radiate from his palms. Their eyes went wide as the dead plant life began to slowly rise up to a normal posture... the severed stems began to mend themselves under the golden light that was now shimmering softly around tai's entire body.. His hair now danced in the golden fire with a strange calm...

  
  


The buds suddenly burst open with blooms of every hue and pattern.. They stretched skyward as open hands to the warmth of the sun... and as the petals opened up delicately the air was filled with a sweet scent.. The aroma began to become more heavy as the ground continued to burst into bloom... the light gradually faded away to the gentle gold of day.. Yet as the last wispy tendrils of gold vanished Taichi fell forward onto his hands.. His breath was ragged as he began to shiver violently.. Sora quickly ran to his side and threw her arms around him in a gentle warming effort..

He shakily put on his gloves once more with Sora's help. He looked weak and fragile as Sora tried to help support him as they bid a hasty goodbye to the stunned Aeris who was on the verge of asking more questions then they were ready to answer.. Before she had time to murmur out a solitary sentence, Sora had pulled the disabled tai from the growing group of onlookers.. They were barely able to hear the young girl call out a hasty "thank you".

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  
  
  


the air was cool in the shaded refuge from the midday sun... the bar possessed a quaint quality of humility and endearment. It was a small establishment by comparison to the emperor's private establishment.. But for a privately run business it was quite successful... the fact that it was a actual building spoke that fact. Many of the establishments were nothing more then crude tents and matts upon the ground.. But the merchants and businessmen who were able to afford the rent were able to procure an actual shop.

  
  


The bar was abustle with traffic as several waitresses flew back and forth from bar to table as would a miniature swarm of bees fly from flower to flower. The majority of the bar was to serve liquor, yet they did offer several non intoxicating foods and drinks. But for the most part the item of the greatest calling was a frosty mug of some extremely potent stuff... something that to Sora's horror tai was drinking like ice-water... his comment was simply that it warmed him. 

  
  
  
  


"Why did you do that tai?" she asked softly as her eyes fell upon him, locked in an intent staring contest with his drink. He looked up from the shimmering dark liquid to her.. 

  
  


_Why did I help the girl? why do I care if one little kid is crying?_

  
  


"I don't know why.... I.. Just wanted her to stop crying." he said in a calculating voice..

  
  


Sora cocked her eyebrow in a unconvinced expression.

  
  


"Don't get the idea that I did it because I cared about one human..."he growled as Sora giggled at his expression. Tai had no clue why he did it actually... he didn't know why he was doing a lot of things nowadays. It made no sense to him that he was acting so human... it frightened him in some ways that all he had known before this girl was suddenly coming into question...

  
  


"What happened back there" he asked?

  
  


"There are a lot of outlaws in the empire, people who are driven to lawlessness to make a living. They tend to steal and raid from the merchants.. Aeris just got caught in the middle of a fight with them and the empire"

  
  


"Why didn't they help her?" he asked darkly as he took a sip of his drink.

  
  


"She was just one girl with one shop... who would care if she loses that?" tai was silent as he looked away slowly. The empire had its faults, yet he had never been there to witness them first hand..

  
  


Sora paused for a moment as she hesitantly took his drink. He had an amused look on his face as she first sniffed the liquid, then took a sip. Tai burst into laughter as he watched her eyes grow huge and begin to water as her cheeks flushed. She quickly put the drink back as far as she could from herself casting it a hateful glare.

  
  


"How in hell can you drink that?" she choked as she tried to get the taste out of her mouth.

  
  


"It's not that bad."

  
  


"Tai.. It's like drinking arsenic flavored gasoline...." she gagged for effect.

  
  


"You want to live forever?" he chuckled as he took another long sip of the toxic beverage.

  
  
  
  
  
  


the silence of the moment was shattered as the front doors burst open with a hellish gust of dusty air which swirled around the room as the two figures emerged from the door they were dressed in faded whites and browns. Their cloaks were thin billowy canvas which was tattered and worn in various locations. They wore hoods, blackened goggles, as well as thin fabric masks over their noses and mouths. They were clearly from the western range... the dead zone to be more precise... the dead zone is the name of the long stretch of burning sands that were formed from the merging of several small deserts. The range was impossible for agriculture, as all that would grow in that razor-like sand was stone formations.... the people who inhabited these arid regions were notorious as assassins and thieves for hire.. Though there were more freelancers then mercenaries who inhabited the dead zone..

  
  


The harsh climate caused the humans to adapt to a more rugged state... the gritty sandstorms were cause for their skin to turn much more durable.. They lost less water, and were more capable in un-habituated areas.. They too would be a threat to the emperor if they were more organized.. At the time they were little more then tribes... nomads at best... thus the emperor was able to keep them thoroughly under his boot by offering trade discounts for water.. Which was a very rare and precious commodity for the desert people... the majority of the tribes were located deep into the desert..thus they could not make brief trips to town to gather supplies. The true desert people were reliant on what they could buy, trade for, or steal... these desert people were known simply as the Clan...

  
  


The room grew silent as the two skulked in. They moved in a predatory way which genesis recognized easily... it was a common fact that the desert people tended to rely upon questionable methods to obtain mates.. The arid climate had an adverse effect on many of the females of their tribes. Remnants from the genesis phase 1. The sands conducted the energy in a strange form of radiation which had left a good deal of the females barren.. Thus the animalistic males would be forced to breed with other females to keep the population high..

  
  


The two men made their way to one of the waitresses who was shaking as they drew nearer. They sniffed the air lightly around her before growling slowly and moving on to another waitress. It was documented that they had digressed due to the radiation to a point that seemed slightly more animal than man. They still used weapons of both high and low technology, but also they had a keen sense of smell. This they relied upon to tell of one of the females would produce a suitable mate.

  
  


They passed several customers who clutched their wives and girlfriends close as the desert men passed. They spoke little more then the occasional growl to one another in a way that hinted at a native language. They were capable of speaking English, yet they were more at home with the grunts and snarls.. They paused at the bartender's daughter.. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


she was no older then thirteen. Soft strawberry blond hair hung softly at her side. She was a cute young girl.. Though her eyes were fearful they were also a breathtaking soft blue. Her soft pink lips were quivering with fear as the two desert men looked at her. They looked at her hungrily...

  
  


The bartender suddenly heaved out a club from beneath the counter. He had not time to swing the weapon before it was split in half. One of the figures had effortlessly pulled the blade from his side and in one great heave split the weapon to splinters of wood. He now held the short, rectangular blade at the man's frightened face...

  
  


The air was still as the grave until a shot rang out like earsplitting thunder. The shell shattered the blade in his hand causing him to yelp loudly as he and his companion leapt back several feet. The sword's crude pommel now lay on the ground amidst a small pile of steel fragments.

  
  


All eyes fell to the origin of the shot only to find Sora glaring at the man with ruby daggers. Her arm outstretched and clutched within her hand was a black hybrid desert eagle magnum. Izzy had taken the liberty of remodeling many of the stronger weapons in the burning dawn's arsenal. This model gun was already a particularly powerful gun... but now with some digital adaptations it was among the strongest handguns you could possess. It had a serious kick to it, yet as testament to Sora's training she held it effortlessly. The power of the weapon was easily capable of punching a foot-wide hole in the armor of a Monocromon. The steel of the animal man's sword was nothing more then tin to her...

  
  
  
  


"Leave now..." she growled out in a commanding snarl as she returned her weapon to its holster.

  
  


Tai smirked at her as she grinned cutely to him. They both were aware of the two men as they drew nearer to them. it was a thing of humor to the two that these desert men had no clue exactly who they were about to pick a fight with. The two men now stood directly next to the two. Their hands moved to their faces and removed the masks to reveal their true faces. They looked very far from human.. More like wolves then men. Their eyes were a reddish yellow which glowed fiercely in the light. They each had a soft matt of fur that was result of never cutting their hair or shaving.. The fur was thin on most of their face, yet it did grow darker as it reached their necks. The two had long hair.. One was a rich brown, while the other was more a grey showing the aged difference. Also as they grinned, they brandished an oversized set of incisors.

  
  


"You are a stupid bitch.... we were just going to take the girl, but it looks like you would bring us better genes if we chose you... and I think you would be a bit more fun..." the dog man snarled at Sora as tai grinned widely at what was on the verge of happening.

  
  


"That really isn't a good call Fido..." genesis smirked as he took another deep sip of his drink.

  
  


"Ah, so she is your mate? Well.. Then it looks like you'll have to pay for her rudeness... but we will be taking her too...." the elderly beast man smirked as his friend lifted a gun to Sora's head.

  
  


"You are really not going to have a good day..." Sora smiled as the elder traced the tip of his rectangular sword against tai's face. He grinned evilly as he ran the blade edge against his cheek.. As the sword traveled his skin it cut a thin wound from his forehead to chin. Yet tai only grinned to him in reply.. The creature looked at him puzzled until his eye fell upon the gash he had carved on him.. Before his very eyes he could see the wound heal itself to a thin pink scar.. Then vanish.

  
  


His eyes widened as Taichi suddenly leapt from his seat upon the dog man who yelped in horror. As he felt himself being overpowered he frantically bit and clawed at his attacker who was able to effortlessly pin him to the wood floor.

  
  


Sora gracefully slapped his weapon away with surprising ease. And as the wolf was still stunned she kicked him square in the stomach, forcing him to double over in pain as he drew back. His head shot up with a low snarl as he prepared to charge upon her. Yet as he regained composure he caught sight of what Sora pulled from her cloak's folds. In each hand she held three long, spear-like arrow bolts. He was momentarily confused as to what they were for until Sora's wrists flicked forward. In the motion she hurled the pins upon him.. They were weighted so that they would bury themselves deep in the body.. Each of the three darts sunk in at three inches into his upper chest and shoulders. They punctured through his cloak which was now painted a bright red as well as the thick skin.

  
  


The beast leapt backwards and howled in agony as he felt the cold steel painfully imbedded within his muscles. He woozily tried to remove the quills.. Yet found he was having trouble gripping them.. It was then that he became aware of the warmth which was now making its way through his arms and to his chest.. His muscles turned to jelly under the chemical's influence.. He glanced to Sora with a look of pained question on his slackened expression...

  
  


"A muscle relaxing agent... you couldn't lift a hand on me if you tried.. Much less a gun.. Six darts will simply make it impossible for you to use your arms... if I had aimed for your chest.. They would have stopped your heart by now..."

  
  
  
  


"Fool... you have no idea who you tried to attack... be grateful you will die quickly dog! I could do much worse... attack with intent to kill is a punishable offense in the empire... I am simply the instrument of your justice..." genesis snarled as he lifted the beaten figure up from the floor by his throat. His eyes were wide with horror as he stared into the cold evil eyes of the young man in the dark cloak. With one hand he was able to lift the wolf from his feet...

  
  


"Tai?...." Sora asked in horror as she watched his eyes burn with delight.

  
  


"P-please! Mercy!" he choked out in a gravely voice.

  
  


Their eyes met as predator to prey...

  
  


"No...."

  
  
  
  


Sora's eyes went wide as she watched tai happily make a fist around the creature's throat. All ears heard the blood chilling crunch as every vertebra in the animal's neck suddenly was ground to marrow and splinters of bone. His eyes went wide as the lips made a great wheezing sound. But most horrible of all was the eyes as he crushed the thing's throat. As the pressure was produced several blood vessels exploded causing his eyes to pool a blackish red. Tai opened his fist slowly, allowing the man to fall to the floor like a toy..

  
  


The younger creature frantically tried to hobble away, yet as he was to the door he glanced back to see the demon boy had grabbed his companion's blade and was now drawn back to hurl it. The girl's poison had slowed his mind as well as his body.. He made no effort to dodge.. Mearly to run as fast as his numb legs could take him.

  
  


Tai was about to hurl the weapon forward upon him.. He would not miss.. Genetically he could not miss.. He was made to be an assassin.. A killer.. A predator, and like any predator he loved the chase.. Though since his game was wounded it would not get far enough to be a challenge.... he drew back, ready to kill it.

  
  


"Taichi stop!" Sora called from his side. He paused as he stared at her.. She was looking at him in a way that effected him. Her eyes, they burned sadly into his as she watched in horror at what he was doing.. And as she looked upon him he saw himself. He was on the verge of striking down a fleeing enemy.. A young enemy who was unable to defend himself. He slowly lowered the weapon.

Allowing the creature to escape...

  
  


_Is this the genesis? A mindless killing machine? _

_And if I am a killer, have my actions killed what once was tai?_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  


the animal ran.. He ran aimlessly as the fear pushed him onward. He was vaguely aware from the shrieks and cries of onlookers as the blood soaked creature nearly plowed into them. as he ran he collided aimlessly with tents and shops and merchants.. Each time being recoiled from and pushed away.. Under normal circumstances that would result in his wrath.. Yet the young mutated human was now beyond thought.. The residual genesis power had taken all humanity from his people..

No one knew why they looked canine.. But now he truly felt like an animal.

  
  


He was running like one. Fearful of his predator as he frantically ran. It was hard to continue.. The darts were still effecting him, making each step more and more strained. His feet fell like lead against the ground as he slumped upon the Stoney earth. His ribs throbbed along with his arms and shoulders in a combination of the silvery spines and the exertion.

  
  


"Are you alright?" he felt a pair of strong hands help him to his feet. His vision was blurred as he tried to focus on the citizen. Yet the world around him was no more then a fuzzy blur of color and white pain. He was aware of the arms as they led him to safety. To a cooler place, out of the hot sun.. He was grateful for the shadows, they would hide him from the demon.

  
  


"He... killed my father..."

  
  


"Who did?" the voice probed softly

  
  


"The demon... we were looking to take a female back to our pack.. But.."

  
  


"Go on...."

  
  


"The demon stopped us.... he killed my father.. Crushed him in his hand....he... wasn't human... wasn't one of us... he was evil!" the creature panted in a horrific frenzy as he shrieked in horror as he relived the death of the alpha male, his father.

  
  


He felt the good-Samaritan embrace him in a tight hug as he patted the creature's back. The animal was human enough to return the embrace and began crying softly onto his cloak. He was a child without a father. 

  
  


"It's alright.. I know it's hard to loose a father... I remember how hard it was for me...

But you didn't know he was evil when you saw him? Don't the clan have heightened senses?"

  
  


"I.. I didn't.. He was evil!" the creature ranted

  
  


the Samaritan drew his lips to the creature's ear. "Didn't you know?"

  
  


"K-know what?"

  
  


"We're all evil..." 

  
  


As Sephiroth spoke the words his forearm erupted with a whoosh of steel as the blade buried itself in his abdomen. The young member of the clan lurched forward in the throws of death. His eyes were wide in agony as he felt the blade slice through his intestines and organs with the flare of an icy razor. Then with a jerky movement the blade retracted back into his arm.

  
  


The clan was slumped on his knees as his eyes managed to focus on the face of the hooded man. He could see nothing in the way of features.. Just pure evil black... his mouth opened to speak, yet only black, tarish blood leaked from his gaping jaws. His eyes were soft as he stared at his 'savior'

  
  


"You know they say there is nothing more painful then a wound in your stomach.. You see the blood? It's black.. That would be bile spilling into your blood."

  
  


He took the clan's hands and pressed them tightly to his gushing stomach, stopping the bleeding.

The young creature screamed in agony as he felt his hands brush against something that he dared not look upon

  
  


"You have a choice animal.. Be grateful for it.

  
  


You hold that wound tight, you live for twenty minutes... but those twenty minutes will seem to last for days of agony...

  
  


You let it bleed.. You die in five and it's much faster, but still.. Those five minutes will last forever..." he chucked softly.

  
  


"You have however, a third option.. This one is entirely up to me. I know he was with someone... but the demon could have sensed me if I were close enough to see who... but my little clan friend... tell me about who the genesis was with.. If you tell me I can make it go away..."

  
  


"She.. Was beautiful... her hair was long... red... eyes o-of.. Fire... she.. was.. his mate... she smelled of the evil...it was on her skin, and her hair... p-please... help me...." he cried out in agony, his voice week and slurred.

  
  


"Thank you.. That was most helpful... now for your reward..." Sephiroth spoke softly as he lay his hand atop the creature's head. The last thing the animal heard was the metalic shriek of the blade as it plunged into, and through, his forehead... as the blade retracted, the creature slunk to the ground amidst a pool of black blood.

  
  


The hooded figure smirked softly to the dead animal at his feet. Ultimately that is all he was.. a dog who died in the gutter.. And as the great lord of death, Sephiroth rose upward he dismissed the fallen creature with as little more regard then a dead animal.

  
  


"Most helpful...."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  


"Tai... what happened back there?" she questioned with a look of mixed emotions on her face.

  
  


"I killed a killer and a rapist." he replied darkly as he refused to meet her gaze.

  
  


"That's not what was bothering me..." she whimpered as her hand took hold of his cheek. She gently guided his gaze to hers in a soft expression.

  
  


"Killing in the heat of battle is different then what that was. Tai, you murdered that clan."

  
  


"Sora... why can't you understand? I am genesis... a weapon... it's my nature.. My identity.

  
  


I may have been tai once, but now I am genesis too. Killing is a part of my nature, it's as simple as that... I agree that I am Taichi... the evidence is too clear that I am, but I am also the genesis."

  
  


She looked at him sadly as she continued to stroke his face with her gentle hand. She was amazed by how deeply she had been sucked in now. It had been so little a time since she had been his enemy. Technically she still was... but here she was. Same Sora, still hopelessly in love with tai. Yet this was not the same tai, despite her best efforts she knew he was not...

  
  


"You care about me?" she asked hesitantly, afraid of a negative answer's effect on her.

  
  


He studied her for a moment.. He had been unsure of this question for so long. He had one half of himself that really did love her, yet he also had the side of himself which was genesis.. The side that was meant to kill and to destroy.. The warrior side of himself... 

But the side of him that gave him his heart, and his soul did love her. It loved her with every fiber of its being.. Loved and needed her...

  
  


"Yes... I do..." he whispered softly

  
  


she smiled softly. "Then make me a promise....." 

  
  


she guided his eyes to hers as she asked him softly.

  
  


"No more killing..."

  
  


"Sora... I am the genesis. It's my nature to destroy, it's who I am... I would have to be crazy to make a promise like that. It would be like asking me to cut a part of myself out, like asking me to abandon my own nature!" he snarled.

  
  


Sora turned away from him as the tears began to burn down her cheeks. She knew what she was asking him... knew that it would be almost impossible for him... but how could she have a life with a killer? Not a warrior, but a killer. Tai had always killed to protect them.. To eliminate threats to his family... but genesis killed simply because it was what he does.. She knew there was no life for her now... she could not live with tai if he was a demon with the angelic face of her past. And she could not live her old life now, knowing he was still alive... she was dammed by fate by every angle...

  
  


"I'm sorry Taichi..." she tried to run, yet found his hand firmly locked on her own.

  
  


"I would have to be crazy... or in love..." he whispered softly

  
  


Sora turned to face him with a look of growing hope in her crimson eyes.

  
  


"You ruined my life Sora.. But I think you also are giving me a better one, with you."

  
  


Sora moved slowly to him. He was giving up so much. More then she should have asked. The genesis was evil, but it was also a part of him.. A part that he was willing to cast aside for her. She had so many questions about all that he was..would the demon sleep, or awaken over time in him? Could they find peace together? But despite the questions she proceeded to move closer to him. His sad brown eyes lit slowly as his lips instinctively found their way to hers. He kissed her hungrily as his arms moved by their own power to embrace her. He was amazed by how much he was drawn to her.. She was his key to all that was, and all that was yet to be.

  
  


Their mouths hungrily met in a symphony of attraction and romance that remained about them as an aura. It permeated their bodies with it's essence which swirled around them as a dervish of need and longing.. As they parted each wore a pinkish blush upon their mature features.

  
  


"C..Come on.. We need to get to the rendezvous..." Sora stammered lightly as she tasted more of tai's drink upon his lips. He mearly grinned lightly as he complied.

  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  


the sky had given way to dusk now.. The air was cooler, though still a tad on the dry side. Izzy glanced around the scenery hesitantly as he waited patiently for lady Kamiya to make her appearance. He growled lightly as he slumped onto the cool earth underfoot. He grumbled hatefully as he cast a glance to his watch. He could have spent the evening in the lab... or better yet in his quarters with his fiancé. He had never really expected a romance between himself and the pink one as Davis called her. It was something that simply came about without knowing.. They were both isolated in the group, him for his intelligence, and her for the distinct qualities that dubbed her the pink pain back in the old days.

  
  


He sighed sadly as he thought of her.. There would be no romance between them if it hadn't been for the war.. Yet it was the war which killed her.

  
  


Mimi had always been the lightest of them all.. She had taken tai's death with the most ease, though by comparison to the others she was scared for life by it. But she had managed to survive the pain and move on from the death of her friend... but when she watched the war escalate from a vague threat to a grim reality. She died... she had been walking through the remains of primary village.. And what she had seen killed her.. Killed the Mimi they had all known before... after she got back she was a different girl. A quiet one who was no longer vocal about the evils of discount shopping or her adoration for shoes... koshiro had always felt guilty for being happy about her change... for he did fall in love with the new Mimi. They were so similar at times.. She was now a silent young woman who was content with simplicity. She was proud of izzy for all he did, as he was with her.... but still the question remained... would he have fallen in love with the true Mimi?

  
  


His eyes fell upon two shadowy figures who made their way steadily tword him. He recognized the frame of Sora, despite her long billowing black cloak... yet the second figure was alien to him. The hood obscured his face, yet from casual observations izzy was able to make. He was tall, of good build, muscular... and powerful.

  
  


"What kept you?"

  
  


"Just had a few things we needed to get done first..." she smirked as she threw back her hood, freeing her long fiery hair which danced in the wind. She smiled warmly to izzy who rose up and returned the smile.

  
  


"Tell me Sora, who's your friend there? A new recruit?" 

  
  


"No..."

  
  


"Then who is he lady Kamiya?" a new voice echoed from above. On instinct Sora's hands flew to her side withdrawing the magnum form its resting place at her side. She held the weapon at a direct level with the voice, yet as she looked it her eyes fell upon the familiar face of the young Takeru.

  
  


"Getting a bit jumpy?" he smirked as he leapt from the high branch to the ground.

  
  


"TK, what are you doing here? I asked for izzy to come alone." she growled as she stowed the weapon.

  
  


"Yeah.. I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I know you're boss here... but you have been giving some seriously questionable orders. First you cancel the assassination attempt after one failure. Then you start dragging our tech specialists out of base without an escort of any kind..."

  
  


"I don't remember asking you what your opinion was."

  
  
  
  


"I know you're in command Sora, but izzy is out top intelligence officer and tech specialist. He has a bounty on his head almost as big as ours. And if we lose him the war just got about fifty times as hard to win..."

  
  


"I don't need to be reminded of just how many people want us dead. And I also am not required to explain myself."

  
  


"I'm sorry lady Kamiya."

  
  


"But since you're here I guess you're buried, just like the rest of ourselves. I didn't call in a guard because that guard would be in a dangerous situation for seeing this... also, don't forget that izzy originally was a general like you..." Sora paused as she motioned for the hooded figure to draw nearer.

  
  


"TK.. If you see this then it puts you in a difficult position with Kari.. She can't know this yet... if she did it would cause a lot of problems for her and us..."

  
  


"If it involves Hikari then I need to know it...." he replied icily.

  
  


"Tell me... who is this guy with you?"

  
  


She sighed...

  
  


"That's what I called you here for Izz... I need you to run a genetic scan to find out exactly who this is.. And how much of him is human..." their eyes went wide at the comment as they stared at the cloaked figure... he stood perfectly still as he looked to them from under the cover of his hood.

  
  


"Guys... this is genesis...." 

  
  


before Sora had a chance to say any more the two immediately fell into battle posture. Izzy leapt backwards, and as he was suspended in air his arms flew to his side revealing a pair of miniature chain guns of his own design. The two weapons suddenly sang out with fire as the pistons spun out rounds of fire within seconds. Yet as they were about to make contact with the motionless figure he effortlessly sidestepped the blast of firepower which blew through a tree as it continued on its path of annihilation.

  
  


"Both of you stop!" Sora snarled out, causing the two teens to freeze in their tracks. Their eyes fell on her enraged rubies which glowed with wrath. TK whimpered lightly under Sora's expression while izzy quickly returned the smoldering weapons to their place at his side.

  
  


"B..but Sora! That's GENESIS" TK growled as he made no effort to stow his weapon.

  
  


"Listen to me Takeru! Izumi! I will not condone thoughtless action. If genesis was not with me you both would have been dead by now... frankly I'm a little disappointed by your lack of faith in me..."

  
  


"Genesis is with you!?" izzy choked out.

  
  


"More or less.... just be grateful that I warned him you might have a reaction like that..." the two cast a questioning glance at one another before relaxing slightly. Genesis was a serious fear for all the burning dawn, thus they all were a little quick to rush to the pyrotechnics at the idea that the demon prince was no more then four feet away...

  
  


"Sora... have you recruited him to our side?!?" TK gaped.

  
  


"No... it's complicated...."

  
  


"But how?"

  
  


She sighed in defeat as she motioned for genesis to show them. their faces went pale as they watched the hood give way to reveal the strong face of Taichi. His hair was long, and whipped violently in the wind as he glanced at the two who were now in dismay over the face that stared back at them. he looked at them with a expression of great strength as well as a vague curiosity as to the faces he could almost remember.

  
  


"Oh my god...." TK gasped as he allowed himself to sink to his knees....

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  


"So do I have a clean bill of health?"

  
  


"If you were looking for a physical I would recommend joe.. But as far as I can tell.. Your genetic structures are amazing."

  
  


"That had better not have been a pickup line." Sora chuckled from her place at tai's side.

  
  


"Funny... but seriously. His genetic structure is identical to that of a human.. However his genetic helixes are comprised of both organic material and digital coding. I've never seen something like this before. The digital and the organic are synchronized perfectly within him... he's both digital and organic at the same time..."

  
  


"So I'm not human..." Sora glanced to him with a soft smile as she stroked his cheek affectionately.

  
  


"Actually you are human.. Just a different type of human... when we were in the digital world we were data... when we got back to earth we were organic again... you are human.. Just, both at once... tai... I don't know what to say, the genesis strain is completely harmonized with your human side..."

  
  


"So is he more tai or more genesis?" Sora asked as her hand tightened on his.

  
  


"That's just it... there is no tai or genesis... they're one and the same..." tai's eyes widened at the statement.

  
  


"I don't know how to explain it... "

  
  


"Tai... there is something we need to talk about." TK said softly as he rose to his feet, followed by tai. The two stared at eachother for a moment in complete silence.

  
  


"I can't be who I was TK... I have a life in the empire... and though I can't begin to understand all this I know that I don't belong here... yet..."

  
  


"And Kari?" he choked out as his eyes teared.

  
  


"It would hurt her if I stayed..." TK nodded softly, on some level they understood eachother in a way Sora or izzy couldn't comprehend, warrior to warrior. TK turned to walk away, yet was halted by tai's words.

  
  


"TK... Kari has a new protector now...." he walked over to the young blond who looked up at the slightly taller tai. Taichi smiled softly as he offered his hand to TK. The young boy studied the hand for a time, and then suddenly took it in his own in a deep embrace. Man to man.

  
  


"I just wanted to shake the hand of the boy my sister loves.. I'm proud of you Takeru.." Sora watched with moist eyes as the two embraced in a tight hug, tai had once acted as TK's brother.. Now it was clear the bond still existed despite the circumstances of their lives. They parted without a word as Taichi threw his black cloak back into place.

  
  


"And you Sora?"

  
  


"I'm not quite ready to come back... there's a lot of stuff I need to sort out..." she replied as she glanced to tai.

  
  


"Sora... I feel I must advise you to the danger of going back with him... the empire knows you... they'll be looking for you... if you are staying in the heart of the empire the odds of them finding you rise exponentially."

  
  


"Izzy.. You know I have to go with him..."

  
  


"Yeah, I do..." he replied softly

  
  


"Thank you..."

  
  


"Just remember to check in dammit. I have a hard enough time keeping track of the others without having to deal with you." TK smirked.

  
  


"I will... come on tai..."

  
  


And with that the two vanished into the night. The world was uncertain, it could turn on them at any moment, yet they continued onward despite the swelling tides of war that were now crashing against the shore at a escalating level. The world was crashing around them... and things were showing no sign of lessening. TK and izzy looked on with a silent reverence at what they were seeing.

  
  


"You know.. This can only end badly...." izzy observed.

  
  


"Yeah... I know."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  
  
  


Sora awoke slowly as the first golden rays of dawn brushed against her face. She groaned softly as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced around the room. Tai was already gone... Sora had come to acknowledge over the corse of the week that tai no longer was a late sleeper.. In fact she was beginning to question if he slept only for her benefit. For no matter how early she would wake, he was always up and dressing. She smiled softly as she came to recognize the pair of warm eyes which were synonymous only to tai.

  
  


She had given up on trying to understand him over the week they had spent together since meeting izzy. They had come to accept the questions as they were.. And as the days passed they learned to dodge the questions too. They were happy playing house together. Content in the game of normalcy.

  
  


"Do all humans sleep this late?" Taichi joked.

  
  


"Ahh.. shove it ya digital hybrid."she grinned.

  
  


"Sticks and stones.." he grinned as he kissed her good morning.

  
  


"Gee.. You're in a good mood." she smiled as she rose to a sitting position. He slipped into bed with her happily as he kissed her once more in a chaste manner. Having Sora with him this much was having the same effect on his fragmented memory. He was able to recall more at a faster rate. It had come to be that he could recall faces more easily now, and events were less muddled in his mind. He had been able to keep his promise to Sora thus far, though he still felt the call beckoning to him from across the boundaries of the empire walls where the war still raged. Sora was still commanding the dawn... she did so by communicator, or by secret meeting. Most of them were mystified as to why she was on leave.. Yet the senior digidestined all were happy for her that she was getting a bit of piece.. Despite the fact that they didn't know who she was with...

  
  


"Hey Sora.. I have been meaning to ask you something..."

  
  


"Yes?"

  
  


"Every tear at this time the emperor holds a formal ball.. It's kinda his way of showing off for dignitaries." she nodded 

  
  


" Well normally he finds a way to get me out of them, but this time I am going to have to attend for posterity's sake. Now if you don't want to go I am fine with it... but it isn't safe for you to run around the empire without me there to give you a cover story. And staying locked up in our room would be a bit boring for you..... so... would you like to go with me?"

  
  


"You are asking me to a dance?" she asked incredulously at the memory of how tai had hated dancing with a passion.

  
  


"I'm not promising anything.... and I apologize in advance for your feet. But over the last week you have shown me so much, from the world outside the empire to the person I was... I would just like to give you a taste of one of the empire's good sides.. They are kinda cool in a stuffy and overdressed kinda way." he laughed nervously.

  
  


Sora grinned broadly as she cocked her eyebrow. Tai had never actually asked her out on a date of any form. They ran errands in the city, or took walks, but they never actually made it clear they were dating, though it was obvious to any onlooker. She drew nearer to his lips as she breathed out a sultry 'yes' that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise to attention. Tai smiled a boyish grin as he kissed her neck in thanks.

  
  


"My hero, saving me from a night of aristocrats." he chuckled.

  
  


"Shut up Kamiya." she grinned

  
  


"Yes, sweetie" he quipped

  
  
  
  


*********************

  
  
  
  


The soft song of music wafted through the brightly lit hallway as an aroma would gently waft through a home. The music was instrumental and soft.. It felt as velvety sand to the ears, gliding gently through the fingers with no pebble to interrupt the fluidity of the flow. The violins sang out in a lavish and nostalgic manner to the ear. The song was a light one, written before the merging occurred and the world was thrown into chaos. Yet somewhere in the aspect of the tune it sang of darkness.. Perhaps the immortal melody was trying to warn humanity of the tide which now crashed over mankind, yet its efforts were lost due to the simple beauty of its song.

  
  


As he glanced across the room his eyes fell upon the ballroom. A room which advertised the sheer elegance of the emperor's taste. It was a vast room of velvety red tapestries and shimmering marble floors. In the far corner the musicians played with the aid of several gekomon who were mearly preforming backup to the musicians. He had never seen so many suits.. The hall was alive with dancing and polite conversation. But his eyes were more to the dancing.. The people swelled and shrank back as a great tide of black tuxedos and lavish dresses. They withdrew and advanced to a great unspoken command, which was not unlike the movements of a battle. Yet here the combat was gentle and symbolized. He cast a glance to where his brother would be, somewhere near the head of the congregation, only to find him dancing gracefully in the arms of a young blond woman who tai was unacquainted with.

  
  


His gaze fell skyward to the large domed glass ceiling. Above them the stars shimmered in a gossamer dance of their own. Though they were more stationary in their ministrations, they did dance without question. In the center the moon hung low. It radiated with an ivory light which painted the occasional wayward cloud a shade of silver. He could breath in the air from the sea. The castle was set with one end hanging over the vast cliffs of mount Infinity which gracefully sloped downward at a sharp degree to the blackish blue tides of the nightly water. The ballroom had a vast balcony which overhung into the night air outside as open arms to the world beyond the ornate. He could almost hear the rhythmic crash of the waves and spray of the frothy foam from the sea, as it crashed against the cliffs. He glanced further through the open doorways to the balcony where his heightened vision caught several couples holding eachother as they listened to the soft words of the ocean against the melody of the orchestra.

  
  


They had agreed to meet inside the formal hall. It had been a light debate as to if they should go on with this due to the fact that Sora was a wanted individual, yet there was little known about lady Kamiya besides a brief description which could match a thousand girls. For the most part it was decided that she would be safe with him so long as they kept together. No one would question the genesis thoroughly about anything. And since the four lords rarely ever attended, they were no threat to her... tai paused as he glanced to the clock which hung ornately upon a nearby wall, she was late...

  
  


He was slightly nervous as to why she was so late... She had said she needed to run a few errands before the event, and despite a minor argument, he allowed her to go off alone. He cursed his weakness to her now as he cast another worried glance to the clock, who's face did no more then illuminate further concerns. He made it a point to remind himself that Sora was no helpless teenage girl. Yet as he was on the verge of going out in search of her his eyes found her...

  
  


She cast a tender smile from across the crowded room which melted him. Her hair now hung at her sides as shimmering flame made silk. Two tiny tendrils made their way down her face from either side in a way which framed her angelic face. She wore light makeup which was a shock to him since he could not recall her doing this from when he first met her, or from when he first remembered her. It gave her beauty an augmentation that he had never dreamed capable. Yet as his eyes traveled her he found no words capable of depicting her accurately. She wore a simple gown which he assumed was the cause of her delay. It was long and ivory white as is the moon when it hangs mournfully over the sea. It was held to her without straps in a manner he had not quite seen before. She grinned broadly as she playfully twirled for him giving him a greater perspective of the dress and body with which it hung. It had no back, just a delicate downward curve which ended at her waist in a manner that made the throat dry and gape. Around her neck she wore the dragon's tear, which perfectly accentuated her soft and milky skin.

  
  


She made her way to him through the crowd of elite, and yet incomparable women who held no candle to the fiery angel before him. As he watched her make her way to him it occurred to him that next to her, he was drastically underdressed. His hands subconsciously began the task of straitening and dusting off his black tuxedo. He wore a midnight black suit which framed him, and made him appear more slender and shapely. The white undershirt was tucked neatly into place as was the black cape which advertised his position as one of the royals. It was simple in contrast to ken's. The emperor favored more decadent attire. Clothing more fitting to a regal figure such as himself... but genesis was content with simplicity.. Though he would drastically rethink his degree of casualness if he had seen Sora before tonight.

  
  


"So what do you think?" she beamed.

  
  


"You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen." he gaped as he hesitantly offered her his hand.

  
  


"You look very handsome tai." she commented as she straightened his tuxedo for him before accepting his arm.

  
  


He was glad he didn't wear the genesis mask tonight.. It was not acceptable for this formal occasion.. But more tonight he was happy to not wear the garment. He wanted to see Sora as himself, not the genesis. And... he wanted to be seen as tai tonight above all other times.

  
  


The evening passed quickly as the two separated slightly from time to time when genesis would be needed to politely address a dignitary with his brother. Sora tended to shy away as ken beckoned tai.. She didn't want to address him directly for fear that she would not be able to contain the desire to kill him with her bear hands. Tai agreed that it may not be the nicest possible party behavior.. Yet as he returned they would be drawn back to the other's arms as they would listen to the music happily.

  
  


Sora did note that tai was adamant about avoiding dancing. It was humorous to her that despite all the changes, he was still so much like the Taichi she had known. Yet she would not let him get away with this... 'girlfriend's prerogative' she smirked. With considerable petitioning she managed to coax him to the center of the dance floor.

  
  


*********************

  
  


the music began to play a slow waltz known as the Waltz for the Moon. It was a softer song, which sung of innocence and of love. The music danced softly around them as tendrils of wispy smoke. It glided against them in a caressing manner as Sora took the role of dance teacher.

  
  


"Ok tai.. This is a little on the hard side.... the key to this dance is the hands. At all times one of our hands must be together, just an inch away from touching. It's basically a simple waltz with that adaptation. Just try to keep your hand to mine the whole time... and... try not to break my feet too." she smirked

  
  


"Gee, thanks for picking such an easy one for a beginner." he whimpered.

  
  


"Well, dancing is a bit like battle.. Look at them tai... one side moves, the other counters. It's kinda like a war. Except you tend to kill your partner less." she grinned.

  
  


He smiled darkly. "Battle... I can do."

  
  
  
  


The music picked up, and as it did tai and Sora took position to one another.. Sora moved one half step back and he followed hand to hand. Then he took the step away and she followed. He smiled softly as instinct took over and he began to move in time with the song. Soon the two were preforming intricate maneuvers to one another. The genesis was a fast learner. Soon Taichi's heightened balance and agility were in full gear as he and Sora glided against eachother in a way never witnessed. Their hands remained tied together by the invisible grip which bound them.

  
  


The crowd began to part for them as the two danced, both oblivious to the fact that they were now the center of attention. Tai was smiling softly as he continued to make turns around Sora as she did the same. They drew togther in a way that left their mouths mearly inches away from one another before pushing away to arm length, then making more spinning turns.

  
  
  
  


Meanwhile at the other end of the hall the door silently opened giving way to the figures of the four lords. Several guests paled as they passed by. Dayus was thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to cast a wayward glance at a guest who would begin to quiver in fear.

  
  


"What are you doing here?" ken snarled silently

  
  


"Checking a lead." Sephiroth stated in his cold voice.

  
  


"We beg your forgivenessss emperor, but we have located the asssssassssin." Grendle hissed in his deep reptilian snarl.

  
  


Ken's eyes glanced to his brother who was still engrossed deeply in dancing with the young girl. The two were unaware of the dark eyes which were now studying them. ken's expression darkened considerably as he cast a glance to the young blond at his side.

  
  
  
  


"Get away from me." he growled, causing the young girl to go white with fear and hastily depart as Grendle pulled back his lips in a deep snarl.

  
  
  
  


"My word.. I had no idea he could dance like that..." kale commented as she studied the face of genesis. But as her gaze moved to his features she was troubled by what she saw... he was smiling broadly in the arms of this girl who they knew to be lady Kamiya. As she studied the girl's expression she tightened her grip on the heat rod which now glowed hatefully at her side.

  
  


"It would seem the genesis knight has turned on us... I humbly ask for the right to kill him my lord." Sephiroth snarled as he studied the face intently.

  
  


As Sephiroth spoke lady kale blurted out a hasty "NO!" as their eyes fell upon her she quickly amended the comment. "I mean.. Why should we sacrifice such a valuable asset to the empire when all we need to do is slaughter that bitch he's with..."

  
  


"Lord... I advise you to choose your actions carefully. The destinies speak that this moment should be a decisive one for our future." Dayus whispered softly as he ran his bladed claws against one another.

  
  


"Please lord... allow me to strike him down and show the price for betrayal"

  
  


"No Sephiroth.. No one will be killing my brother unless I permit it." the emperor snarled icily as the others looked at him with question as to his very rare mercy. He motioned for them to accompany him as he made his way through the crowd, sword in hand....

  
  


The dance was at its close as tai and Sora were now in a frenzied series of turns and motions. Sora's hair danced happily in the wind as she watched Taichi's eyes on her, lit like the eyes of a child as they behold a thing of beauty for the first time. The turns ended abruptly as tai and Sora slid into eachother's arms. And then as their lips joined the two hands closed over one another signaling the dance's end. They continued to kiss as the sky was illuminated with fireworks of every hue. They cast a luminescent glow over the crowd who were applauding the couple. As they drew apart their eyes never left the other's.

  
  


"I love you, Sora..."

  
  


"And I you, Taichi..." they were about to join together for another kiss, but were frozen as an icy voice cut through the moment as if it were a sword.

  
  


"My, how touching..." Sora's eyes went wide as she stared in horror to Taichi who was pale also. They hesitantly turned to find themselves staring upon the face of the emperor who was smiling darkly upon them.

  
  


"H..Hello b..brother." genesis stuttered.

  
  
  
  


"I was unaware you were such an accomplished dancer genesis.... we couldn't help but notice.." he motioned to the lords who were now surrounding them.

  
  


"I trust that I owe my brother's recent skills as a dancer, and a liar to you.." he motioned to Sora who now had a look of hate upon her crimson eyes.

  
  
  
  


"Please brother... let her go, this is my doing." genesis pleaded as he rose to his feet.

  
  
  
  


"No... I think I would like to deal with lady Kamiya myself.

What kind of fool are you. You dare try to corrupt my brother into thinking you have feelings for him... then convince him to lead you here... to finish the assassination...

  
  


Genesis, it pains me to say this, but this girl has been lying to you from the beginning." he smirked

  
  


"Taichi, it's a lie!" she replied as her eyes met his. He was silent.

  
  


"You think you can use my brother like this!? I promise you will regret trying to do this to him." ken growled.

  
  


"Me use him!? You have lied to him since you made him. Turned him into a monster, made him kill for you. You made him help you torture this world! You made him kill innocent people for you! How can you call him your brother when you use him like this!?! you never loved him as a brother! I love him!" Sora spat.

  
  


"That is enough!" he snarled as he swung the blade of his sword upon her. Her eyes closed as she waited for the weapon to end her life. Yet the end didn't come. As she opened her eyes she saw tai snarling as he held the sword within his grip. His eyes burned darkly into the emperor's as with a jerk of his fist the blade shattered to steel fragments which rained to the floor.

  
  


"You would betray me brother? Me, your brother, for a girl you have known no longer then a week!?!" he snarled

  
  


genesis leaned forward with a dark expression. "I have known her since I was four years old...."

  
  


Ken's eyes widened at the implication of what he just said. "You.. Remember who you were?" he stuttered.

  
  
  
  


"I love you brother, but you were a fool. In the beginning god created heaven and earth.. But when you made life you did so blindly. You simply knew too little...

  
  


You didn't know that I had a life before...

  
  


You didn't know that I would remember that life..." he drew nearer.

  
  


"You didn't know that I was a digidestined!" as tai spoke ken withdrew several steps back to the lords.

  
  


"YOU?... A.. DIGIDESTINED!?!?!"

  
  
  
  


"And the soul of light shall be rekindled amongst the darkness, and together he shall be reborn...." Dayus whispered softly as lady kale stared in horror.

  
  


Hey eyes suddenly flared with hate as she caught sight of the figure she hated. Sora turned just in time to see the burning whip as it glided hatefully to her. time moved slowly as she recalled every memory she had of tai and her life before.. She had no regrets for any of the time she spent with tai.. She had lived to see him again.. And to finally say all she had longed to say before. Yet just as the whip was about to slice her in two tai leapt into its path. Lady kale shrieked as the burning whip cut a deep wound into his arm before she was able to withdraw it back to her side. She stared at him with a pained expression as he glared hatefully at her... he had been willing to die for this girl... yet her eyes suddenly turned white with terror as they fell upon the figure behind her.

  
  


Tai sensed her gaze and spun around only to find Sephiroth standing no more then two feet away from him. Time froze as Sora screamed in horror at what she heard. The cold metallic whoosh of Sephiroth's blade as it embedded itself within him. Taichi stared blankly outward as all eyes were fixed upon him. He gasped lightly as the wind was expelled from his lungs. He blinked as his gaze met Sora's tear-soaked eyes. 

  
  


He could vaguely hear Sephiroth mutter: "The heros are always first to die..."

  
  


The blade protruded through him. It hung from his side in a fashion that seemed unreal to behold. With a steely jerk the weapon returned to Sephiroth's arm as he watched tai sink to his knees with a sickening thud, and a splash of crimson. He glanced up to Sephiroth with the same expression of disbelief he had before. Sora managed to rush to his side and grab him before he fell to the marble floor. She cradled him in her arms as she wept.

  
  


"Don't cry Sora..." he whispered weakly as he tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. Tai nestled his head against her chest as his eyes slipped shut and he grew still. She snaked her arms around his still frame and held him to her, rocking him within her arms tenderly.

  
  
  
  


___Is it my destiny to die like this? I still am needed.... I can't leave Sora, not again..._

_ But, do I have a choice?_

  
  
  
  


She looked up to the hooded figure who towered above them laughing evilly. His cloak danced maliciously in the wind as he smiled down on her. Then with slow movements he drew his hands to the shadowy hood which masked his identity and pulled it away revealing his true face. Sora gasped as she stared up at the long flowing golden hair as it glided in the winds like a nest of winged serpents. His pale skin glowed as a ghost of the past in the dim light of the now nearly vacant room. And as his sapphire blue eyes met hers he grinned darkly to her as he smirked hatefully to the bleeding figure in her arms.

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Matt......" she whispered with a horror.

  
  
  
  


He chuckled coldly. 

  
  


"No autographs, please...".

  
  
  
  


******The past is what was**

**it was either good or bad**

**some cling to what once was while others run from it**

**but you can never escape the past. It is a part of you, be it good or bad**

**thus you must live each day with the knowledge that your action have consequence**

**and that a wrong decision can summon evils you never dreamed capable**

**do not forget the past, for those who do are dammed to repeat it**

**do not cling to the past, for those who do are dammed to take no part in the future**

**simply respect what once was for what it was**

**be it good, or be it evil**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Not The End....**

   [1]: mailto:logan91235@aol.com



	6. Genesis 6

Disclaimer: I do not own digimon or tai and Sora and the other characters. ok well at long last I finished this one. God.. I have no idea why it was taking so long.. Guess I just didn't have the free time... god where do we sign up to get a clone? Well thankfully I think I have introduced all the new information for this fic... now it is just primarily letting things carry on into the end. There are still a few chapters to go... but the end is in sight... the emperor's true motive is coming up.. And I think it is going to be fun... you have no idea how much fun it is making a character really evil... Ken is a good character for the fact that when he was the digimon emperor he had that whole flare for evil... but sadly it's hard to respect a nemesis who is sporting blue spandex... *rolls eyes*

hope you like it.... [logan91235@aol.com][1]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_Genesis_**

**_6_**

  
  
  
  


By Logan

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**"The Storm"****__**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


He was awake for a time before he willed his eyes to open. His mind was mearly preforming an evaluation of the extent of his injuries. There were considerable abrasions upon his shirtless skin, most likely from being dragged, then thrown into the cell he was surely now in. Yet the most obvious of all his wounds was the hole Sephiroth had left upon him. He could still feel the icy razor's touch as it plunged into his abdomen. It felt cold as it pierced him, yet now there was a burning heat upon his frame. He could feel cold sweat upon his back as he continued to lay there upon the concrete ground. He recognized it as the symptoms of infection. No doubt if he would cast a glance to his side he would find a purple-red wound which would snake outward with tributaries of read streaks, showing the infection's advancements. Had it not been for the genesis power he would be dead... even now he could feel the heightened immune system as it continued to push back against the red tide of death which was ill-equipped to take genesis. It still hurt though.

  
  


The pain was as a red poker as it is mercilessly thrust upon the skin with the rhythmic agony of a metronome. He was grateful to the pain in some respects, it occurred to him that as long as his side throbbed with fire he was alive. He mearly focused on the pain to ascertain exactly how hurt he was. It had missed vital organs, for if he had been struck in one of his fragile organs he would already be dead. It was strange.. He had never known Sephiroth to fail in a kill. But then again, he had never known himself to be so weak in battle. This was proven by the agony he now felt. His side ached, yet his heart was hurt more... he was a warrior, and for a warrior that defeat was pathetic. This promise was harder to keep then he had previously thought.

  
  


"So.. You're awake...." a shadowy voice snarled from across the void of blackness. Tai tried to open his eyes, yet as they opened he winced at the brightness. The room was not excessively bright, yet it hurt him... he rubbed his eyes slowly, careful to not agitate his throbbing side. He could distinguish the voice as that of a woman. Yet his blurred vision didn't give a clear image of her. it was difficult to speak due to his dry and swollen tongue, yet with some effort he was able to talk, despite the scratchy voice.

  
  


"Who are you..." he uttered through his raspy voice.

  
  


"My.. How quickly they forget..... don't tell me you forgot your betrothed..." lady kale smiled.

  
  


"You... do you have to start this now kale?" he grimaced as he rose to a sitting position.

  
  


"You can't keep fighting it genesis. We are destined for one another." she grinned as she drew nearer to where he lay.

  
  


"I don't love you... not as genesis or as tai..."

  
  


"Well regardless, you have no say in it... we are arranged for one another... also, if you are going to persist in this betrayal there will be no more genesis or Taichi."

  
  


"If that is what it takes to follow my true self..."

  
  
  
  


"It doesn't have to end like this genesis, your brother has shown you mercy.. He will spare you if you renounce the bitch and reclaim your place amongst us... it can be as it was again beloved.."

  
  


"No.. It can't."

  
  


"Why dammit!?!" she snarled.

  
  


"Because I am no longer who I was. I know who I am, what I am... and I also know that I love Sora... kale... I'm sorry but there is no chance between us. I love her." tai was able to rise to his feet with some effort. He was still wobbling, yet managed to stand by sheer will.

  
  


"Also, I have sworn that I shall never kill again.. I will give up genesis for Taichi. I will find peace, and transcend all this death around me. That kale, you could never do...." his gaze softened.

  
  


"Is Sora alright?"

  
  


"For the time being... the emperor feels she is too valuable as a hostage then to give Dayus as a toy. She is being held in the same complex as you... but since you are so steadfast about being a traitor to all we are... I'm afraid you will just have to stay here..." she snarled darkly as she made her way through the barred doorway. She smiled evilly to him as she pressed the console, sealing him in.

  
  


"I'm sorry beloved, but even you won't be able to save her." she growled hatefully.

  
  


"WHAT!?!" Taichi snarled as he leapt to the bars, only to find that they were made quite well to handle the genesis. The sudden movement aggravated his side, resulting in the bleeding to begin again.

  
  


"I would be careful, even the great genesis can bleed to death. 

  
  


But I think you may have seen your bitch for the last time. She is after all the great lady Kamiya, leader of the burning dawn. She has been responsible for the deaths of many imperial soldiers... I would bet it is quite possible someone who had clearance to her cell could get to her... it would be a shame for the emperor to loose such a valuable hostage, but I think the empire will survive without the aid of having her at our control...." she smiled darkly.

  
  


"You are going to kill her?" he asked softly.

  
  


"Well beloved, I will eventually.... but in the meantime I think I will take some effort into making her last hours very painful. You say you love her, well... I shall win in the end... by her death."

  
  


"You will not hurt her kale...." he said gravely.

  
  


"Dear beloved, I already have been hurting her." she laughed darkly.

  
  


She glanced to him quizicly, yet within that instant doubled over in agony. Her hands were frantically gripping her throat as she squirmed against the unseen force which was crushing her throat. Her eyes were wide in terror as tai stared darkly to her. it was as though he actually had her neck within his grip, and was slowly crushing her life away.

  
  


"What of your promise? Are you so quick to break it?" she gagged out despite the pressure to her vocal chords.

  
  


"Without Sora, there is no tai... without tai, there is only genesis... and my dear lady kale.. Genesis is a killer... I shall not allow you to hurt her... To save Sora I would kill tai, and you..." he tightened his grip as his body began to radiate with the genesis power. Her eyes teared as she stared into the dark eyes of genesis.. 

  
  


He was on the verge of killing her... and yet she still loved him, more in fact. The qualities that had attracted her to him was his dark side. He was a figure of great strength and power, one capable of bringing forth death upon any he pleased... even as a young girl lady kale remembered her father... the look on his face as his thick hand crashed against her mothers cheek in a thunderous crack, like a bullwhip as it screams within the air. She had been afraid as she watched her fall to the ground in a great thud of flesh on floor. But the thought resounded through her child mind... her mother was too weak to stop her father.

  
  


The scars of the past are worn upon us a badges of accomplishment and of failure. Kale remembered the power her father had. Her father had more power then her mother when he beat her to death. And when he tried to beat kale, she had more power. She had known it was coming, and when her father's psychosis tried to claim her life as well, she had been ready. The child had looked into her father's eyes as they glossed over. She could recall the feel of his blood as it trickled from the knife which she had embedded in his chest. And as he died there, heart impaled by the blade his daughter held in her terrified hand, he had smiled down on her. in that moment she knew that in life there are the strong and the weak. The strong kill the weak, and thus for her to survive she must switch categories...

  
  


That is why she loved genesis.. He was strong and from his strength she would have strong children. She would evolve herself through him. She would have more power...

  
  


She smiled softly as she felt the grip block all breath from her lungs which now burned as her head grew light. She stared at his face with love for all the power he had... all the power he had over them all. The power lady Kamiya's love gave her over tai was impressive. But as she studied his features she saw both rage and sorrow. He would kill her, but he didn't want to kill her... his eyes had changed since before he met lady Kamiya.... before his eyes were a dull shadow, two blackened stones sitting atop the white sands of his eyes. But now they had changed. They were a soft brown, a brown that resembles milky chocolate ready or consumption. The image shocked her for a moment as she stared onward... he looked so different.

  
  


"Beloved! Use of the genesis power will leave you on the verge of death... do you think your body would be able to recover with that wound Sephiroth gave you?"

  
  
  
  


"Do you think that matters to me?"

  
  


"Not very social of you genesis..." a new voice split the silence like an icy blade.

  
  


The emperor appeared before them with the same dark smirk he had come to wear upon his shadowy features. He was of lean build, yet he radiated an aura of great power and superiority. His long black cape hung at his side in a traditional military styling. His attire was the same velvet black that he had come to wear constantly. It had gold trim which shimmered in the dim light. Yet the trim was not normal in its design. Instead it was grafted to the form of golden flames. Thus illustrating the balance between sheer ferocity and the regal stature which was so a part of the emperor. He chuckled to tai with the same knowing grin he had come to use quite often during times of tribulation. The smile was perhaps his most frightening feature.. It gave the illusion that he had predicted this to be.. As if all we do were a part of his grand scheme. A scheme that stretched beyond the empire and the world.. A plan of such grandeur that it made all others seem like pawns in some great cosmic game of chess... a fact that even tai was fearful of.. The idea that he had already seen this... and was pleased at the implications of the minor acts of the small mortals.

  
  


"Brother, I demand the immediate release of lady Kamiya .." tai spoke coldly as he glanced menacingly to him.

  
  


"Very good brother... even in defeat you can still strike outward, it is impressive.. This is much like one of our chess games.. You have my knight, a powerful piece who I do need... but, I have your queen.. One who I doubt you would be willing to trade for victory. That's how I know you aren't going to use that power of yours to kill me... if I die.. Who would stop Sephiroth or Dayus from having their way with her? She is worth far more to me then all the dark lords combined.... So go ahead.. Snap kale's neck. But know that I will pay the agony back on you once over.." ken spoke warmly, still brandishing his knowing smile as he glanced to his brother. Tai scowled darkly at the fact that ken was still ahead of him.

  
  


"Lady kale insinuated that she, or another, would kill Sora... if not for me, for the safety of your hostage."

  
  


"Lady kale...."

  
  


"It's a lie!" she choked as his grip ended her protest.

  
  


"No.. I have no doubt that you would kill her... but the fact that you tell him that... you almost deserve to be crushed by him like this.... Not a bright move... the genesis is triggered by emotion. If you try to enrage him you risk triggering it." he grinned to kale who was scowling darkly from where she hung suspended. 

  
  


"I cannot allow her to escape, nor can I simply lock her in a room... she is far too capable... but... how about I move her into your cell? I doubt any guard or lord would be brave enough to risk you.... would that be suitable brother?"

  
  


"For the time being. But understand that we will be walking out of here soon."

  
  


"Good enough..."

  
  


Ken summoned a guard who was ordered to collect lady Kamiya and bring her here. He was also instructed to not do this alone as lady Kamiya would be able to kill him before he could lift the muzzle of his gun. The young guard was nervous as he bowed and complied.

  
  


"Release her."

  
  


"No.. Not until Sora is with me" he growled softly. Ken was slightly taken back by the nature of genesis, he had never disobeyed before... it was troubling in some respects.

  
  


"I always knew you were more then mearly a shadow program left when the worlds merged... and I always knew that you would continue to grow and evolve. No more then three days ago you wouldn't have possessed the courage to order me around. It would seem you are on the road to reclaiming your humanity... brother."

  
  


"I was a normal human once... family, friends, Sora..." he sighed sadly as he turned away.

  
  


"You are my brother tai.... not by blood, but we are brothers..." ken spoke softly as he drew nearer to the cell. " I don't want to loose another brother.." the emperor was kind as he spoke.. It was a tone he had only used for his brother... a tone of warmth and love which seemed completely isolated in retrospect to the cruel lord of the empire. 

  
  


"I know brother... but I can be genesis no longer...."

  
  


"But.. All you have to do is forget this girl and it can be again as it was meant to be... the twin sons of the empire ruling over all others... 

  
  


Tell me you don't want that... that you don't feel the need to fight again... to kill again. Tell me that you do not long for life as it was..."

  
  


"For Sora... it's worth it... I made a promise to not indulge the mad lust for death which the genesis hungers for... I will never kill again.. Not for her, or for you...."

  
  


" you are a fool to think yourself capable of that... it is your destiny to fight... you were made as a warrior. Listen to your heart Taichi... you hear it calling to you.... you feel the lust for war... and no matter how hard you try, you cannot cast aside a part of yourself...

  
  


Who's the bigger fool, lady Kamiya for asking you to make that promise, or you for agreeing?" he smirked at Taichi's silence.

  
  


"I want her to be proud of me... I can't live with the idea that I am hurting her."

  
  


"A pity I could not know her under different circumstances.. She sounds like she is worthy of you."

  
  


"Then let her go..."

  
  


" tai.. I am bound to my path as you are to yours. I had hoped that the road was the same between us.. But now I see that it is not. I cannot release her because she is my enemy. But.. I will do what I can to assure she is safe.. For the time being..."

  
  


"She will kill you.. You should know that she will win in the end." he spoke with a silent indifference to the lives of them both. It was a statement not of malicious intent, but of factuality.

  
  


"Brother... you have no idea the full summit of my goals... neither of you do.... " he turned away as he made his exit leaving kale to hang there until the guards returned Sora...

  
  


"The actors are assembled, the stage is now set... it appears to be time for act two to begin..." he whispered slowly as he continued onward beyond the threshold of the stony dungeon.

  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  


Sora groaned in pain as she was lead to where the guards had informed her tai was waiting... this she doubted... it was her experience that you can rarely trust your captors. Especially when they dangle something you want to your lips. Odds are the water is tainted with rubbing alcohol. Sad facts, but true ones. Guards tend to be cruel to their prisoners.. It is their way of augmenting to the pain. So naturally when the young man had informed her that they would be escorting her to the genesis' cell she was skeptical. But ultimately it did her no good... she could handle four guards unarmed.. But seven armed guards would be more then she could deal with.. She sighed in defeat as she was lead onward at gunpoint.

  
  


The trek was a short one by comparison. But it seemed to take forever with the addition of her injuries. She was in agony from the thorough twice-over lady kale had given her with a whip. Sora almost wished it had been the heat rod... the searing heat closed the wounds as they were cleaved.. But the bullwhip's stinging kisses were still throbbing on her back. They cut into her soft skin in a way she had never known. She was surprised in some ways.. There was no interrogation.. Not even a single question asked about the burning dawn, just tai...

  
  


Also the woman who took the job, lady kale, had taken it a bit personally. She had derived a lot of pleasure in the act of beating Sora mercilessly. Yet as Sora refused to cry out she became further enraged. Sora's back was now scarred by the whips touch. She would bear the scars now.. That was no longer in question.. But a few scars were nothing.. She had others from countless battles. Some girls would be ashamed by a blemish to their complection, but Sora always saw the scars as a way to be closer to tai. Even before Datamon he bore an impressive array of light scars. Sora could recall his chest as a road map of injury. Each scar a different highway. Though she had less wounds then him, it was still another thing they had in common.

  
  


The air was damp against her skin as she kept pace with the guards. To her side she could see the jagged, and uncarved walls of the tunnel. She assumed she was below the palace. From what they knew of its architecture, there was a vast maze of catacombs underneath the city. It was here that ken kept his more prestigious prisoners. Ones who were too valuable then to give to Dayus. The ground was uneven at her feet. It was obvious that there was little time spent in the actual carving of these channels. It was most likely made by several Drimogamon who were put to the task of simply carving out a path. But the craftsmanship was considerably better in the cells.. They were of a dense stone, carved to offer no structural instabilities. The bars were made of a metal produced in the merging. It was an alloy made from digi-steel and titanium. They called it neo-titanium. It was quite effective as it was seemingly imperviable to brute strength. The cells were escape-proof. Especially since the maze was a combination of stone and various metals which were known to make tunneling difficult, and signal communication impossible.

  
  


"Are you alright?"

  
  


"What?" she was taken aback by the sudden question of the senior officer. He glanced to her questioningly as he studied her back with grim glances. It was obvious he didn't like seeing someone in pain.. She glanced up from the Stoney floor to his features.

  
  


"I asked if you were ok... it looks like someone did a number on your back." the boy repeated.

  
  


"I'll live.. That is until you people execute me..." she snapped 

  
  


"Sorry..." he trailed off.

  
  


"So where am I really being taken? Somewhere that has more original ways to torture me I would imagine.. You wana tell me? Or is it a surprise?"

  
  


"I was ordered to bring you to genesis' cell." he replied with a look of question as to her bitter humor as to her situation.

  
  


"You wana give it a rest? I know I am not being taken to him... why would you be that nice?"

  
  


"Me personally because I don't think it's right hurting someone like this, even if they are enemies. But I got my orders because genesis is currently holding one of the lords hostage. That guy has a serious temper..." the young man smirked.

  
  


"Too bad he turned against the empire.. It's hard seeing him behind bars..."

  
  


Sora glanced at the boy with a newfound question as to him. He seemed to be genuine in his concern for her, but what intrigued her more is how he spoke of genesis. It was as though he knew him. Sora pressed no further as she continued onward quietly.

  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  


"How did it go?" Sephiroth asked as he joined ken down the trek from dungeon to palace. There was a sharp change in decorum as crude tunnel turned into sculpted passageway. Soon the ground was beginning to look like it was actually part of the picturesque empire and not some recess of the dank catacombs beneath. It smelled less of stale and long dead air, now it bore the light freshness of air beyond the crypt-like dungeons.

  
  


"All is as I had predicted..." he replied coldly

  
  


"And what did you predict?"

  
  


" it would seem that I will have a harder time then I expected regaining tai's loyalty to the empire.. He is committed to never killing again.. To keep his promise to her... this shall require some effort and planning on our part if we wish to return him to our side of the war." ken turned to Sephiroth, who was staring at him with a grave expression.

  
  


"Emperor, you just called him tai.. Listen to me, if you want to win this you can never make that mistake again. Your brother is genesis, not tai. Genesis can still be turned, but if he becomes Taichi he will side with Sora. Tai will never join the empire, he will fight it with all he is..." matt spoke darkly.

  
  


"You know Sephiroth.. I have never taken enough time to find out exactly what your story is.. You are one of the strongest digital humans I have ever known, quite uncommon seeing as how you just appeared from nowhere... and the fact that you know lady Kamiya by her true name, and genesis by his.... what is your connection to them Sephiroth? Or should I say, yamato?" matt glanced around nervously as ken turned his gaze to him.. His eyes were blue like matt's, yet his were slightly more menacing. They were darker and much more cold..

  
  


"We... knew eachother once... before the empire..."

  
  


"During the digital wars?"

  
  


"Yes... I was present during the first digital wars... along with Taichi.. Emperor, you must understand the danger he possesses. Tai was a great leader once, a powerful fighter. He must either be reverted back to genesis and have all that is Taichi destroyed, or we must kill him outright.. This is all or nothing, there is no in-between."

  
  


"You presume to order me? I who could kill you with a word? Sephiroth. I tolerate your secretive nature and your inability to act as a team member entirely on the basis that you are one of the best... you have an ego the size of the empire itself. And I can't help but wonder just how loyal you are to me and not to yourself.."

  
  


"If I am so untrustworthy, what are you going to do to me?"

  
  
  
  


Ken chuckled darkly "absolutely nothing... for a while I was debating if you would betray me.. But after seeing how lady Kamiya looked at you... I am your only friend Sephiroth, to betray me would be to slit your own throat."

  
  


Matt stopped walking as ken continued onward past the threshold of the dungeon and into the palace. He was right... it was a strange idea to matt that at the end he would be alone. Strange not in the ending, for he knew he would be alone from childhood. But it was still an alien concept to him that he had managed to isolate himself from the world. One half of it hated him while the other feared him. The emperor was right.. Alone he would be too weak to survive.. Either the empire or the burning dawn would eventually kill him... thus he was forced to serve the emperor... like so many others he was in too deep. Another life that ken controlled...

  
  


He glanced down to his arm. He drew away the cloak to look at his bare flesh.. The forearm was grafted with the cybernetic blade. He had attached the weapons himself.. He had chosen to be a weapon... though he was not a genetic weapon, his arms were now not human... the cybernetics were not like those of Dayus, matt still had two good arms. But the gauntlet of silvery steel plating was now attached over the flesh at various points. The circuitry shimmered lightly as he willed a blade forward. The neural implants worked like a charm as the blade shot forward from his wrist with a cool whoosh of hydraulics. He studied the weapon for a time.. It was made of the

neo-titanium, and thus the blade would never dull or warp.. It remained a part of him, a physical embodiment of all that was cruel about yamato.. He sighed softly as the blade shot back into place within his arm.

  
  


His blond hair spiked outward as he brushed a few arrant tendrils from his eyes. He was filled with a silent detachment to life as he drew the black hood back over his face. The cloak of Sephiroth obscures the face.. Ironically that is what he liked about it, the chance to distance himself from his humanity.. And distance himself from all that was matt... he had betrayed them all, and now he was alone in darkness. But even from his isolation he felt no sorrow for his situation.. He had always known that if any of them were going to survive the digital wars it would be him.. He would survive where Sora and tai would fail.. Simply because he was willing to do what it takes to survive. It is better to be at the devil's side then in his way.

  
  


He was Sephiroth now. He filed away his thoughts of what might have been in the deepest recess of his mind. He would do what his destiny willed him to do.. He would serve the empire, and advance within it. He would kill those he once called friend, and he would do so without the slightest pity. In fact he would enjoy making them pay for choosing Sora over him.

  
  


"As you wish emperor..." he muttered softly as he continued down the winding corridor.

  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Taichi stared outward from the bars. His side was on fire due to maintaining the genesis power. The wound was pulsing in agony as his teeth gritted in a low snarl. His lips were open as he drew in pained breath after pained breath. He was vaguely aware that the wound had stopped bleeding for a time, a rare sign of encouragement that he may live long enough to see Sora before the wound would take his life. His hair hung plastered to his face as he stared outward to lady kale who had grown silent. She stared at him with a look of complete bewilderment as to why he would give his life for this girl who he hadn't known for more then a week. He didn't look to her, mearly took in the cavern.

  
  


The geography of the cave was that of darkness and stone. The only light filtered downward from a single overhanging bulb. The orb of light cast a dim glow across the hollowed out jaws of the cell. It was tight, like a coffin of stone and steel. The effects of the cave would be strangling to many as the walls loomed upon them as Stoney sentinels ready to leap upon the fragile humans housed within. Tai was vaguely aware that the stone was smoothed by running water which now pooled at his feet.

  
  


"Tai!?" a feminine voice cut the silence.

  
  


"Sora!?!" his head shot upward to the opening

  
  


in a sudden moment the girl bolted from the doorway despite the guards and was to the cell. Tai dropped lady kale to the floor as his arms cleared the bars to embrace her. they kissed frantically as each muttered out their worries in a frantic jumbled manner. Tai was stroking her cheeks tenderly as she kissed his bottom lip lustfully. They were unaware of the guards expressions as the two lovers continued the act of affection to one another.

  
  


"Oh god Sora, I'm so sorry."

  
  


"Thank god you're alright.. They wouldn't tell me if you were ok. I was so afraid I had lost you again..." she cried against him softly as he stroked her silken hair.

  
  


"You'll never loose me Sora... I swear you won't" he kissed her again, this time more lovingly.

  
  
  
  


"Kamiya..." lady kale hissed as Sora turned to her hateful gaze. Sora stared at her with rage.. This woman had spent the better part of two hours beating her.. All the while telling how genesis was truly in love with her, and was only using Sora. Sora was not a vengeful person on many scales.. It took a lot to make her a mortal enemy... but lady kale's running commentary about how she has been sleeping with genesis for months....

  
  


"Tai... you aren't holding her anymore?"

  
  


"No."

  
  


"Good...." Sora smiled sweetly as she turned to lady kale who was staring questioningly to her. then with a sudden burst of rage her fist collided with the stunned woman's nose sending her sprawling several feet backwards into the arms of one of the guards who was staring slack-jawed as lady Kamiya grinned to Taichi who's eyes were wide saucers.

  
  


"Listen to me bitch... if you torture me, fine... but the second you imply something about Taichi I will snap your jaw, you bleach blond psychopathic whore." she motioned to one of the guards for the door. He was hesitant, yet as she narrowed her crimson eyes to him, he quickly complied. It would seem the idea of having bars to separate them was not something he would object to.

  
  
  
  


Tai embraced her tightly, yet as he did she yelped out in pain. Tai leapt away in a uncoordinated series of steps. His eyes were wide with question as sore bore the pain with gritted teeth. She looked up to him with a soft and reassuring smile upon her pink lips and rose eyes. Taichi was still full of questions as his gaze fell to his hands, then widened in terror. His bare palms were soaked in red blood. He was stunned as he absentmindedly rolled it between his forefinger and thumb. The coppery color and thick texture was unmistakable...

  
  


"Tai, I'm ok.." she pleaded, yet her comment fell on deaf ears as he took her in his gentle, yet firm hands and turned her so he had access to her back. He was horrified as he stared at her. From the small of her back to the base of her shoulders she was painted in a light red hue. Her soft skin was torn in gashes clearly shown as the bitter kisses of a leather whip. His eyes shot with rage to where kale was, yet he was disheartened to see she had already vanished beyond the threshold.

  
  


She still wore the necklace, and same snowy dress from the night of the party, yet it was now shredded in the back. He gaped in horror at the imagery of her soft and feminine back adorned with a tattered dress which was caked with dry blood. The dress had seemed so vibrant last night... yet now it was ghastly and appalling as it clung to her like a blood-bathed sheet. The fabric was troubling to him, yet quickly disregarded as his eyes came into view of the wounds... they had bled clean.. And there was no trace of infection. Yet they pierced his heart as a lance. If it weren't for him she would have never suffered lady kale's sick sense of evil bliss.

  
  


He was broken from his thoughts as he felt her hands faintly examine his side.. He tried to stop her, yet she was far to stubborn and far to menacing when provoked.. He complied with her examination. She guided him to the thin and worn mattress which resided against the far wall. He acted as a child to her under the orders of her stern and motherly voice. 

  
  


"If only we had some bandages.." Sora spoke softly as she patted his chest softly.

  
  
  
  


"Ask and you shall receive..." they glanced over only to find a first-aid kit tossed at their side.

The young man smiled brightly as he closed the cell door behind himself. He wore the attire of an empire guard, yet he bore the insignia of a captain in the imperial army. He was grinning broadly as he made his way to them.

  
  
  
  


"I heard mr. Personality had managed to get himself on the wrong end of a sword... and frankly after hearing that our little genesis had taken an interest in a young lady.. Well I simply had to see for myself." he cast a quick grin to Sora who was staring at him questioningly. The face and voice were that of the guard who had brought her here..

  
  


Tai's eyes lit up as he glanced to the young man who stopped before Sora. "And you must be lady Kamiya. I would kill you under normal circumstance... but since genesis is so taken with you I suppose I shall spare you the effort of having to kill me..." the comment was made half in jest, as Sora was reputed to be extremely dangerous, even for a lord...

  
  


"Glad you could make it... this is Sora Takenouchi... the woman I love...." tai beamed with pride.

  
  


He sobered lightly as he looked upon her reverently.

  
  


"You have a beautiful name miss... Sora... 

  
  


I am Collin Yagami Loire...." he spoke politely as he gave a short bow to her.

  
  
  
  


"It's a pleasure..." she replied questioningly as he turned his attention to Taichi. The two were friends.. That was obvious as tai closed his hand over the young soldier's. The mood was light, yet soon darkened.

  
  
  
  


"Genesis... what have you done? You betray us?"

  
  


"I betrayed myself the moment I put on that mask... " tai replied in a silent tone.

  
  
  
  


"Collin... I remember now.." the man gaped at the comment.

  
  


"Genesis, you remember who you were?" he gasped.

  
  


"It's not genesis anymore... my name is Taichi Kamiya. I have a real name, a sister, friends, a life, a past, and I have found the girl I was in love with from that life. All I ever wanted..."

  
  


"So... you have a past... does this mean you are considering yourself human now?" he grinned as he gave himself time to digest the information.

  
  


"I wouldn't go that far...." Taichi quipped with a playful grin on his face.

  
  


Time passed between them as Taichi and Sora filled Collin in on all the details of his resurrected memory, his life from before.. And as they spoke Sora got a feeling of trust in this young man. He was a bit eccentric at times in his mannerisms... yet he was kind and polite. And seemed to be a true friend of Taichi, and now Sora also...

  
  
  
  
  
  


"That is so wild.. You of all people.. A digidestined.. God the emperor must be sweating bullets by now..." he laughed.

  
  


"Why is he so afraid of the digidestined?" Sora questioned as Collin leaned back against the grey stone wall which gaped above them.

  
  


"It's all from that psycho Dayus... he predicted that the empire would fall at the hands of the chosen children.. Or as you call it.. Digidestined... it was pretty vague.. But the emperor has made a lot of effort to eradicate all of them... from the looks of things he hasn't done a good job.. Twelve of them.. Two in his own castle... maybe you're the ones destined to topple the empire after all..."

Collin spoke whimsically as he addressed the idea. He had never been a lover of the empire, for how could he love something which had moorings based in stagnant pools of blackened innocent blood. He simply was indifferent to the situation, he followed the road set to his feet. Yet regardless of passion or none he was loyal to his side... but also loyal to his friend.

  
  


"A lot of roads are diverging here... the emperor's acting too hasty... it's as though he has something planned.. Something bigger then the efforts to stop the dawn..." Taichi replied somberly as he drank thirstily from a canteen of cool water. He gave an approving groan as he drew his lips away from the cup.

  
  


"What are you talking about tai?"

  
  


"Even I'm not too sure," he paused as he debated how to word the next few sentences. " brother has always been a planner. But something has been on his mind for a time now... something dark. I just got the feeling from him that there is something coming, something bigger then us all. It's like there is a storm coming, a storm only he knows about..." tai took another longing sip of his drink as he continued, less to them, and more directed to the darkness of the cell.

  
  


"You can see the clouds across the horizon, hear the cry of thunder in the sky. The storm is coming, and there is nothing strong enough to stand against it..." he was grim as he looked out over an imaginary hillside which proceeded a black ocean of thick blackened clouds.

  
  


"What do you know?" Collin asked softly, in a tone of no more substance then the shallow whisper of a frightened child.

  
  


"Just that it involves me...."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Grendle stared outward over his room. It was darkened to no more then a dim glimmer of candlelight. The man-dragon was sitting in a meditation position, yet the pose was slightly altered to accommodate some of his more unique features: the tale was now draped within his lap stilly. His gaping wings were curled around him as a robe of leathery flesh.. His eyes were still the same un-blinking polished amber, though they did not shine with spectacular menace, just a strange sadness. The eyes of the dragon glowed with a soft luminescence. The glow was present, yet not that of hateful burning coal... just a simple radiance.

  
  


The room was uncomparable to that of its occupant. The two seemed misplaced in comparison to one another. Grendle gave the impression of a cave-dwelling demon, who's only concept of design would be placing the bones of his dinner in some demonic positioning. This room however was tidy and quite comfy. It was of heavy Asian design, a tie to the dragon's roots of Japanese culture. The bed was constructed of Teflon fabric -as to not shred under the clawed touch of the dragon- which was neatly folded. The walls were filled with paintings of varied subject and style. Some of these paintings were of his own creation, while others were procured through shops and gifts from before he became the gargoyle.

  
  


His amber eyes suddenly focused on the wall to his left. It was barren of all paintings and other such trappings of purely decorative nature. Two scrolls hung from the stuccoed surface of the wall. These scrolls bore the stylish ink-work of the Japanese symbols for honor, and a series of prayers which spoke of honoring thy family and thyself. From the wooden floor to waist height there stood a small table of blackened wood. It was crafted ornately of gold trim and of ivory trappings. It was his shrine... a place of his most treasured possessions:

  
  


Upon a shiny black stand the honor blade of his family stood proudly. It was long, even for a Katana. The scabbard was decorated with shimmering gold and crushed night black velvet. The blade lay in wait within the confides of the sheath, leaving only it's pommel to be displayed. The pommel was long, wrapped with black chord to maximize grip over the ancient relic. It's hand-guard was of two dragons which encircled the shaft. The dragons were five clawed, a sign of royalty. 

  
  


This blade was beyond rare.. It had been handed down through the generations as the family's honor blade. Given to their ancestor by the emperor himself, some good four hundred years ago..

  
  


The legend was that a member of their family had defended the emperor during a rebellion amongst the royals. He had been a lone foot-soldier, separated from his commander and comrades. It had been sheer coincidence that he came to find the lord engaged in battle against four mounted samurai. He had rushed to the battle, and managed to claw victory from the throats of his foes.. The battle had been grueling, yet he had saved his lord... as reward for his honor he was granted an imperial sword.. One used by the emperor himself...

  
  


There was great honor in this blade; a treasure.

  
  
  
  


Yet more precious still was the object at its' side: a faded photograph of Cody as a child in his grandfather's arms. The young boy had a look of true wonder as he studied his grandfather's Kendo stick... The picture had been taken the day Cody had been accepted as his pupil.. It was a good day for them both. And as Grendle looked over the photo he cursed his body.. The mighty dragon had many abilities, yet the capacity to shed tears was beyond him...

  
  


"Sssshall I be the one to kill you grandsssson?" he rasped out

  
  


"Isssss thisssss the road of true honor, to follow my lord againsssst my blood.?" he rose up slowly and fingered the photo with his thick reptilian claws.

  
  


"A ssssamurai is ssssplintered once he hassss.... sssomething he lovesss more then hisss honor....

Doesss thisss mean I am defeated already? That I have lossst the battle before it isss begun?

  
  


Honor isss all I have left grandsssson, I prey that it is not put to the test againssssst you......" he hissed out in a voice almost human, yet sadly far from it.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  


Takeru sat silently as he studied the bar. He had heard of a fight here.. The burning dawn was not in the practice of dealing with bar-room brawls. Yet the reports of the battle were quite vivid, and even though an eye-witness tends to exaggerate an event... the account of this fight was hard to ignore.

He had come to rely upon his face as a more persuasive method of obtaining information, then the sword at his side. TK had always looked to be the typical cute boy image that caused girls to swoon in his direction -much to Kari's annoyance-. But the impression he gave was a impression of trust... and in a land of war, the ability to mislead your enemy is a limitlessly valuable skill.

  
  


TK had ordered a drink and sat at the bar. The room was almost empty now. It had a ambiance of stillness and fear in the air. No doubt from the occurrences a few days ago here. People tend to drink to avoid the war and the violence, but though liquor is quite a draw, even its' effects are temporarily numbed by the sight of a full grown clan with a crushed vertebra.

  
  
  
  


"Business been slow lately?" he commented from his place at the bar. He never raised his eyes from the amber colored brew which he was nursing slowly, he didn't need to. TK had observed the bearded bartender compulsively shining the already glossy bar with a rag. It was clear he was looking for distraction from the lack of patrons to the actually quite classy bar. All it would take from tk is a few words to get the whole story from this guy... just a word was enough to indicate to the man that this young traveler was not the kind to have a lengthy conversation with his drink in silent communion

  
  


"Yeah, but it'll pick up."

  
  


"You sound pretty confidant." tk replied as he glanced up from the drink to the expression of the man's elderly features.

  
  


"Well, as I see it the bartender is everyone's best friend at some point. You see people drink to forget the bad times, and they drink to celebrate the good. So by that logic people need me just like I need them... we've had good times and bad here.. The good times should come round again." he replied in a friendly voice as he topped of tk's drink. The young blond dusted the hair from his eyes as he grinned a thanks for the filler-up.

  
  


"Word is you guys had a little excitement around here the other day... something about a clan coming in here and getting killed." tk smirked to himself.. Time to shoot for the goal. He thought to himself.

  
  


"Yeah.. I hate those damned dog-men. No courtesy at all with em. Those two came in here last week and tried to make off with jenny here." he motioned to the young girl at the far end of the bar who was staring dreamily to TK. The blond boy blushed lightly as he cast a nervous grin to her before returning to the conversation.

  
  


"I never much cared for them either... don't suppose anyone will be missing two flee-bags like them huh?"

  
  


"Well I sure as hell wasn't shedding tears over them." he replied with a low growl as to the image of his daughter's near rapists..

  
  


"If you don't mind me asking.... who did the deed? I mean those clan tend to be a bit formidable, we had one near our place a couple months ago, the thing took a lot of ammo before we got em..." TK lied.

  
  


"Where did you say you were from?"

  
  


"Oh, me? Little farm on the outskirts of town.. I'm in town to pick up a new compressor for our plow.. That damn thing is a piece of shit, breaks down more then twice a week. I figured I'd swing by here and get myself a bit of a drink before I head over to buy one..." tk smirked at how good he was at this..

  
  


"I would imagine you would have clan problems.. That is a bit closer to their territory. Damn dogs.. Oh well... where were we?" he asked as he drew up the rag and began polishing again.

  
  


"You were telling me about who put old-yeller down." the man chuckled at the comment.

  
  


"Well there were two of em actually. One was a girl.. Damn she had some legs.... " he trailed off "but she shot the sword right out of the things claws, then tossed a pair of little throwing knives at one... never saw someone handle a clan like that, she dealt with him as if he were a puppy." he laughed grimly at the image, yet his smile faded as he thought to the other of the two...

  
  


"The other was a guy.. Had a really dark look to him... I have seen some serious shit since I opened here, I once had a betamon digivolve to a seadramon right there in the men's room. But I have never seen a guy like that... he crushed that clan with his bear hands... just snapped him like a branch...but the look was what really frightens me.... he had this expression.. It was like he were some kinda demon... Damn well could have been...." he was slightly more pale as he recalled Taichi. TK knew that genesis was able to do much more then that... but he played it dumb.

  
  


"Who do you think they were?"

  
  


"Well.. I would guess bounty hunters.... the girl had some serious hardware, and the guy looked pretty capable... why are you so interested son?"

  
  


"Well life on the farm tends to get a bit dull... I guess I was just curious about what it must be like living in the empire's capital.. Must be exciting."

  
  


"Truthfully boy? Be happy where you are... things may be a bit more exciting here, but some things are better not seen..."

  
  


"I know where your coming from pal." tk had been lying to the man for every statement except that one... the guy was right.. Tk shouldn't have seen his father strung up there... he shouldn't have seen young boys, younger then him ripped apart in horrible wars... but that was his life... no sense crying about it.

  
  


He returned to his drink for a time. The man didn't know Takeru, he didn't know how his father had looked-sunbaked and long dead- upon the stony wall where he had been crucified. This man was a kind one, yet he didn't know just how deeply this young 'farmer' was tied to the war, tied in both hatred and in love. The man sensed the conversation's close, and thus went to work re-polishing a portion of the bar compulsively. TK's trance with his drink was broken as he turned to find the door thrown open, and from its' threshold the figure stepped. 

  
  


Clothed in the soft and flowing white cloak, she made her way to him. The eyes were different from as they had once been. They had once born a deep brown coloration, yet now they were a color of twilight. A soft bluish brown Her soft brown hair was freed from the confides of her hood as she pulled it aside. The chestnut tendrils fell to her shoulders in a graceful ark which seemed cushioned by air as they took position upon her. The front bangs were as white as snow, an effect which made her seem a world apart from all other girls. She was graceful as she moved, like a shrouding mist upon the earth she glided forward in smoky tendrils of no more depth then a shadow. That was the nature of the sorceress TK had long since observed. A mystery..

  
  


The sorceress was like a mist upon the earth. They were both ominous and beautiful. Some could glide across still waters with wispy transparent tendrils. They would dance upon the wind with the grace of a serpent as it glides through glassy pools. Some of the cast were molested by evil, and thus took the branding of darkness to new heights of horror as their gifts plagued life as though they were a cancer upon it. Those were as a fog so thick that it choked life. It gripped it tightly within it's dragon-like coils that the nature of good seemed to be swallowed up in a velvet sea of perfect evil. But in both of the two, the sorceress was above the shortsightedness of mankind. TK had been granted a glimpses into the world Hikari was a part. They were at one with nature and the forces that govern life. TK had always awed at how Kari could hear the music within the wind. It was a song of gentle melody.. A song of change, of death and of birth. A song which Takeru could never hear, but never doubted. He was able to hear the music only in Hikari, and the love they shared. Yet now as their eyes met he saw something he feared more then anything within her gentle eyes... great sorrow.

  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  


The cathedral of darkness, that is the name of the most horrific location on earth. Some would argue that Dayus' imitation hell was truly the most demonic place on the new earth. Yet most were thankfully unaware of the un-holy cathedral. It had once been a church, a place of hope, and of salvation... yet now the cathedral was a place of abandonment from all that was god. It was a place of evil beyond compare... it was where the emperor's darkest ambition was in the throws of creation. It was simply the cathedral of darkness. A name without the capacity to truly show the evil of what transpired beyond the Stoney walls and stained glass windows.

  
  


Ken walked silently down the winding, shadowy hallway. The darkened pathway was almost too much for him to travel. His eyes were mearly able to distinguish the pathway from the twisting mass of cable at its' sides. The chords hung the ground as motionless snakes, awaiting the onset of warmer month where they would be more capable of movement. The cathedral's dim 

path-lights cast a slight illumination over the stone path which lead to the heart of the structure. He followed the passage with shallow breath and silent footfalls. His silence was not based in fear, or in a need for stealth. He simply was quiet in thought. He had hidden as much about the cathedral as he could. None were permitted access to this place. It was his secret.

  
  


He made his way to the final door, and as he came to it cast it open with no thought to trepidation. The room beyond was massive. It stretched high, and was expansive.. Once this room had hear the sermons of a thousand preachers, not it heard a new sound... the gentle wheezing breath of something more horrible then Satan himself. The thing was organic in nature.. It hung upon the far wall as a massive cancer of flesh and cable. The skin was a pale and drab greyish white. It possessed large lung-like structures which rose and fell in a rhythmic breath. It possessed long finger-like claws which clung to the stony wall as a spider might, yet it was tethered to the structure in such a way as to anchor it to the entire cathedral. It was a demon in appearance, yet as ken drew closer to it he was not afraid in the least. He smiled softly as he took in the image of the insectoid mass. The creature was named oracle.

  
  
  
  
  
  


"User identification required." it bellowed out in a chorus of voices. The words were uttered from every corner and every elevation in thousands of distinct voices all at once in a great symphony of discord. the words would have been maddening to anyone who would attempt to distinguish a distinct voice from the sea of verbalizations. Oracle was what ken had chosen to call his DNA computer. It was comprised of a thousand unlucky souls who were fed to this bio-organic creature. Their minds and bodies were assimilated into it.. All that was once them had suddenly became a part of it. Their thoughts, their dreams, their knowledge... all were dissolved into the creature.

  
  
  
  


"I am the emperor. Authorization code: omega."

  
  
  
  


"Accepted..." it chorused out darkly.

  
  
  
  


From the center of the demonic mass a slit gradually opened as a eye would open to the world beyond. Yet there was no retina to this eye... just a hollow and darkened cavity which suddenly sprang to life in low and slithering movements. From the vacant alcove the figure of a woman emerged. She emerged to the waist which was shapely in a occult and ghastly manner. She was nude for all basic impressions, yet her breasts and form were so notably far from human that the concept of nudity was impossible to make. She was human in basic form alone, yet far from it. Her skin was the same tone as the chrysalis from which she emerged. It was pasty, like plaster, yet of a more rubbery texture, like the flesh of a cephalopod. Her face was twisted in a dark expression of cold and malicious expression. Her lips were a tarish black the color of malignant blood. Her eyes, were golden amber, no pupils, not even white, just a shimmering golden pair of hateful orbs. This demon was not feminine in her expression, yet there were certain aspects of her that if examined on their own, apart from the whole, would be almost attractive. She had delicate hands with five perfect digits on each palm. The hands were the same pale coloration as the rest of her flesh.

  
  


"What do you wish emperor?" she asked in the same voice as had previously resounded through the cathedral.

  
  
  
  


"Have you been informed as to the recent occurrences with genesis?"

  
  
  
  


"Yes, I am aware of the recent occurrences with the one known as both genesis and Taichi."

  
  


"If he remains on this path of pacifism, what will happen? He questioned

  
  


"It is not within my capacity to predict the future. There is no formula for calculating the concept of free will, which is undeniably a consequential factor in predicting the future.." ken growled lightly at the ultimate computer. Oracle was beyond the finest of technological machinery, she was the equivalent of millions and millions of gigabytes, yet she was only as good as her programing. Her codes and data came from the souls she devoured, their knowledge was her knowledge, and from the combined intellect of thousands she was smart enough to make predictions based on the perportune and ratios of infinite data. Yet that was as she had previously mentioned unable to predict exactly what would be. Machines can do much, but they are illiterate to prediction of the human nature.

  
  


For a time he had debated feeding Dayus to the machine.. For as Dayus's gifts were assimilated into the creature, it would become capable of predicting the paths of the future. This ability in conjunction with the data from oracle would make the task much easier. But in the end Dayus was more useful as a lord. He was a respectable fighter, one who was more useful alive, then merged. But it was clear that when Dayus was no longer capable of his duties he would be assimilated.

  
  


"What is the probability in simple terms of our victory if genesis does not take part in the final battle?"

  
  


"Genesis is a primary component in the equation for your desired outcome. Without him, you will most likely fail." she echoed out in a silent tone.

  
  
  
  


ken stared blankly into the soulless eyes of his creation. His eyes were dark as he contemplated the prediction. He had almost hoped it wouldn't come to this, Taichi was his brother, yet he was also a tool. If it were possible to win without twisting the genesis to his will then he would have, but in the end it was necessary for him. He was going to for fill his destiny regardless of the price... even if the price was Taichi....

  
  


"Well then... in that case we will have to endeavor on how to turn Taichi back into genesis..." he replied with a darkened smirk upon his thin lips. The being stared at him with the same emotionless expression upon her lifeless face. She was alive, she possessed both a heart and a mind, yet despite her thousands of donor parts, she possessed no fragment of a soul.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  


They sat together at the far end of the tavern, away from the ears of all who would casually attempt to eavesdrop on them. yet they were for the moment silent. He wasn't sure exactly what to say to her. she had never been this quiet with him, almost afraid he remained in a awkward preparation for her words which were gathering together at her lips as a invading army would gather strength just before assault. He studied her slowly, almost delicately for fear that his gaze could force an eruption if it lingered on her eyes.

  
  
  
  


Her clothing was not armored at all, it possessed no hidden knives or miniature cannons as Sora's attire was bustling with. She wore a black undershirt which clung to her anatomy as a second skin. Beyond that was a light snowy dress which flowed on the currents of wind. She would appear delicate and fragile to the outward eye, like a frail white flower born to be hidden within a vase and utterly incapable of surviving outside in the harshness of nature. She was far from that of corse, but that is just the way Takeru saw her. it had proved to be a stumbling-block with them, as Kari shared her brother's sense of adventure and was not fond of being an 'indoor pet'.

Her white gloves caught his eye. They were adorned with a series of silver rings worn not only on each finger, but traveled up to her wrist and forearm. They were all very simple, yet with a slightly elegant, and arousing appeal, it made her look so mysterious and angelic.

  
  


"You're hiding something from me." she stated flatly without looking up at him.

  
  


"Kari..." he was silenced as she continued to speak with the same sad expression.

  
  


"TK, I have been strait with you for as long as I have known you... I showed you things that I haven't shown anyone.. I can feel that you're trying to keep something from me..." she drew in a pained breath.

  
  


"Is it a girlfriend? Because if you are cheating on me then I want you to have the guts to tell me." she spoke in a tone that was both a horribly doleful pitch, and a feral growl at the image of TK in the arms of a mistress. TK was slightly taken aback by her accusation, he had feared Kari would be able to sense a secret in him. But he had never expected her to think that.. They had been in love since childhood, lovers for years.

  
  


"I don't have a girlfriend, and I would never cheat on you kar.. I love you.." he spoke earnestly.

  
  


"I never thought you would hide something from me TK... the link we share makes me just as open to you as you are to me... we each know when something is hurting the other... or if one of us is trying to keep something hidden. I know that's hard... Having no real privacy from me... but.. When we got together... you said you were willing to make this bond...

To commit yourself to me in not just body, but in soul also...." TK loved Kari, and as he spoke to her he focused on that... hopefully she would sense it in him, if she was still willing to look.

  
  


"I do have a secret, but it is in your best interest that you don't know.. It would be painful for you Kari..." he trailed off fully aware that she would never let him off with that. Kari was truly hurt because the bond they shared linked them in a way few normal humans can achieve. It is a state that exists only for a handful of humans who find their true soulmate. To feel someone that deeply inside your heart would be agony if they betrayed you....

  
  


"Takeru... there are three people in this world I really love with all my heart. 

  
  


One is dead, gone for ever.... 

  
  


The second is missing... she is in the middle of a place where people want to hurt her, rape her, and kill her. she hasn't checked in, meaning she has been captured, or is dead... 

  
  


And the last person who I love more than life is siting right in front of me.. And I am scarred to death thinking that he is hiding something from me.. 

  
  


No one knows just how deep we go TK... I need to trust you... I'm afraid of my life TK... I was a normal girl once, then I am sucked into this world of monsters and battles and death, then my brother dies, then I become this sorceress, then we are at war, then I find that the one person I could rely on to give me strength is hiding things from me.... I need you Takeru... I need to trust you." small tears were leaking from her twilight eyes then traveling the slope of her cheeks where they fell into the groove of her mouth.

  
  


TK slowly put his hand to her silky hair in a loving gesture. She didn't fight the touch, In fact she drew nearer to it. He leaned forward and kissed the tears from her eyes, then kissed them away from the path they had traveled to her lips.

  
  


"Kari... what I am going to tell you won't be easy..."

  
  


"It can't be worse then not knowing." she replied hastily.

  
  


"I wouldn't count on it... but ok." he drew in a slow breath as he began.

  
  


"The first person you love... the one who's gone... Taichi." he paused as he debated how to word this revelation. It was no easy task to say the least. He decided that bad news was like a band-aid, best if delivered quickly as apposed to a slow lingering action.

  
  


"He's alive Kari!" he blurted out in a quick breath. She studied him for a moment as she digested the information.

  
  


"If you're joking, your cruel...."

  
  


"There's more.... he isn't the same Taichi we knew... he was remade by the empire. They made him into something Kari... something..." he struggled with the word. "Something dark."

  
  


Her eyes closed softly as she accepted what he was saying. She had almost wished it was a girlfriend, because even then she would know what to do: show the little slut exactly why you should not piss-off the sorceress... but this was harder...

  
  


"He's genesis isn't he?" she commented blankly.

  
  


"Yes..."

  
  


"Sora, she's with him?"

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Yeah... she is. From what izzy told us about his genetic make-up, he is both genesis and tai... it's like two beings in one. Sora has managed to restore most of his memory... but he was unwilling to abandon the emperor." TK replied in a factual voice, the same tone he had employed when giving technical descriptions of battle to izzy. The tone frightened him... for it was a tone he could use so effortlessly when giving the details about thousands of soldiers being killed... now he was using it for tai...

  
  


"He... didn't want to see me?" she whimpered.

  
  


"He thought it would hurt you too much now.... so they swore me and izzy to secrecy...."

  
  


"They thought it would hurt me too much? Why does everyone think I am still a child!?" she began to radiate with white power as the anger pulsated through her. TK glanced nervously to the bartender and patrons who were white with terror as they stared at Kari in her rage. She was normally very good at keeping the power in check... but she was angry... and anger tends to bring out things in us all....

  
  


"I am no porcelain doll.. I am the sorceress! I could kill thousands with a word... I could destroy nations with a gesture.... and you all are treating me like a baby!! I am sick of it! I am a part of the burning dawn... I am tired of being protected from life..." TK rose with her as she stood.. Her body was radiating with a glowing white flame which danced around only her in a menacing manor. TK was sure she was kidding about the whole killing thousands part... check that, he hoped she was kidding about the whole killing thousands part. Kari was sorceress, and if the history of the digital world had taught them anything it was that people were able to do more then anyone could predict... Kari was still young to the power.. It was like most things in life that it grows with you, evolves with you...

  
  


"Kari calm down please...."

  
  


"Where are they?" she replied in the same tone.

  
  


"Intelligence shows that Sora was taken prisoner along with genesis.. The reports are sketchy, but genesis was reported to be wounded badly... we think they are in the imperial dungeons." he replied grimly.

  
  


"When are we rescuing them?" 

  
  


"We aren't.... Sora would never condone a rescue mission...." he replied with a hint of sadness.

  
  


"TK... you are in command... you are leader of the burning dawn when Sora is unreachable... you can rescue her if you want..." she softened.

  
  


"I am nothing like Sora! She is able to put the team above herself. The reason she will not condone a rescue is because it is like throwing away lives for a suicide mission... she is a great leader... I am not... and I trust Sora enough to do what I think she would do in this situation..." he growled.

  
  


"You're right... Sora wouldn't be willing to make a rescue attempt.... but Taichi would...." she replied simply. TK bowed his head at the idea.. Tai had always been willing to take up losing battles for his sense of right and wrong. He had a rigid sense of justice.... and that sense would never condone letting one of them down....

  
  


"We... need to get back to base..." 

  
  


Kari looked down sadly....

  
  


"we have a lot of planning to do...."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  


Taichi and Sora huddled in eachother's arms. It was a sad excuse for romance but the contact was comforting. Their arms hung around eachother tightly in a caressing manner. It wasn't cold in the cell, far from it actually. But their strokes to the other's exposed skin seemed to make things feel better. Tai was lavishing attention upon her soft hair as she came as close to purring as a human were capable of doing. They put some effort into forgetting the fact that they were imprisoned. The wounds were treated now, and the burning pain had lessened considerably in both of the two.

  
  


"Sora, for what it's worth... I'm sorry." he spoke in a hushed tone... it was clear he had been contemplating the recent events, and that if he had not involved her, Sora would not be here facing torture and death. He continued stroking her face lovingly.

  
  


"It's alright tai... I'm not sad."

  
  


"But Sora... they're going to kill you..." he whispered out sorrowfully.

  
  


"I never told you what it was like when you died did I?" she paused.

  
  


"It hurt so badly that I was alone... that I had managed to find the one boy who I would love my whole life, then watch him die..."

  
  


"Why didn't you find someone else after I died?" he asked in a soft manner.

  
  
  
  


"Because I died with you that day.... at least my heart died with you... but it looks like it was reborn with you as well...." she smiled softly as she leaned forward and kissed his lips chastely.

  
  


"What about you, if you could do it over... would you?" he looked at her with a soft grin.

  
  


"Would I be re-born as genesis again, or would I choose you over the emperor again?"

  
  


"Either of the two..." she smiled as she brushed the hair from his eyes.

  
  


"The answer is 'yes' to both. I got a chance to cheat death, and see you again.. That would be worth any price for me..."

  
  


They embraced once more, this time in silence. There was nothing to say that wasn't already common knowledge between the two. They were adrift in a sea of evil and hatred that was mear moments from crashing over them. they held to one another in the silent acceptance of fate. It was a strange relationship they now shared... living each moment knowing that it may be your last... they had both been so happy just to be reunited with one another. But it was now that the true dangers became more clear to the two. They were vulnerable due to the other. the old adage was a clear one "if you have something you love, you have something to loose." It had been easier with Collin here... he provided a distraction from the fear that had been stalking them, and now that he was gone, it was here... they would try to fight when the guards would inevitably come for one of them.. But even Sora and genesis were hindered within the cage.

  
  


They would die here.... it was a idea that became steadily more clear with each silent minute.. Sora was as good as dead.. She was lady Kamiya after all...

  
  


And tai was a traitor.. His power made him too dangerous to risk. They would either kill him, or find a way to turn him evil again... 

  
  


but they were forgetting one thing... if they killed one.. The other would end their own life. The emperor would not be able to separate them again.. Death itself had only been able to keep them apart for a time.. What hope did ken have to do what the grim reaper could not?

  
  


The silence was broken by the slow 'thud thud thus' of boots against the stony ground. Sora stiffened in his arms as they cast a uneasy glance to the darkened passageway. As if on cue the hallway gave way to the image of ken. The man had a grim smile upon his lips as he drew forward.

  
  


"I trust the accommodations are to your liking?"

  
  
  
  


"Well honestly I am a bit disappointed.. There wasn't even a mint on our pillow." Sora quipped.

  
  


"Oh my... I will severely reprimand housekeeping for that... And to make it up to you, I'll have room-service bring you a complementary bottle of champaign." he smirked

  
  
  
  


" you two want to give it a rest... you're abusing sarcasm...." Taichi growled.

  
  
  
  


"Brother.. You have no sense of humor...." ken chirped as he drew closer. Then with a sudden fury his grin turned hateful as he withdrew a gun from the confides of his cape. He pointed it to Sora who had no room to avoid within the tight cell. Taichi acted on impulse as his hand flew forward, summoning the genesis, yet to his horror he found nothing happened.... it was as though the genesis wasn't a part of him, for as he called for the power he found it missing.

  
  


"Bang..." ken smiled darkly as he playfully spun the weapon on his finger before returning it to its' hiding place on his side -unfired-. Taichi stared blankly at his hands in disbelief. He hadn't been able to save her.. Granted ken hadn't fired.. But... it was as though the genesis power wasn't there.. Like it had been pulled from him...

  
  


"It would appear the disable mechanism is working.... after you're little scene with lady kale I decided I would need a device capable of neutralizing the genesis strain... congratulations tai... as long as this is within four hundred feet of this.. You're human..." tai stared at the device. It was a sphere the size of a softball. It radiated with a ruby glow which pulsed in the emperor's hand. The core was surrounded by silvery tendrils which caged the burning orb.

  
  


"You mean... I'm not genesis anymore?" he asked in awe

  
  


"Taichi... you are always genesis. The only difference is that you don't have all the annoying power to put my lords at risk.... and to make it a fair fight..." he lingered on the last part as tai's eyes narrowed to his.

  
  


"A fair fight?" Sora whispered.

  
  
  
  


"I have decided I will give you a choice... you will be entering the arena as a combatant... there your life is your own...

  
  


you may either kill to survive...

  
  


Should you loose, or refuse to kill. I will have both you... and lady Kamiya put to death." he grinned darkly as tai paled at the implications of his words. Ken began to chuckle darkly as he stared at tai. The laughter rose upward through the hollows of the catacombs in a demonic chord. It reverberated through the stone until it was nearly deafening. He had won again... he was proud of his victories over the power, for in the end like it or hate it.. You were his... without further deliberation he lay the orb at the opposite end of the tunnel then began to slowly walk off.

  
  


"You might want to spend the night thinking it over... your soul.. Or your lover.. I'll see you tomorrow brother." he smirked as he vanished

  
  
  
  
  
  


they stared at eachother for a time in complete silence. Sora looked to tai with a thousand questions only to find he was unwilling to utter a single answer. His handsome face was darkened as he cast a wayward glance to her gentle expression. It seemed like hours until he spoke. He drew in a breath, yet held it for a unnaturally long time... Sora's eyes slid shut as he began to speak...

  
  


"I'm sorry Sora...." she was motionless as she continued to listen to his pained words.

  
  


"I wanted you to be proud of me... I made the promise so you would be... What I am about to do is the hardest thing I have ever had to do.... as Taichi I could never do what it will take to keep you alive... Sora I am breaking my promise now... I was made to kill and ken was right.. I will kill again... but he is a fool to think a toy could stop me... every day I am closer to understanding the true nature of this power. And what I know about genesis is that it is not just the power.. Whatever it is comes from me... and if he thinks I am going to let you die because of me... he's in for a rude awakening... I'm sorry if you don't want a life with a killer.... but... that is my place here... not as a pacifist, but as a warrior..."

  
  


Tai's hair hung against his back limply, yet it shimmered like the razor's edge of a sword. His eyes were narrowed in a expression of silent hatred for the emperor. And from the windows of his eyes there was born a darkness that was both alluring and menacing. It was like staring into the aspect of a hurricane which reaches up from hell into the heart of heaven in a great twisting pillar of swirling wind. It's so beautiful and powerful that you are drawn to it despite the fear for your mortal life. This effect raged within the radiant sienna pools of his eyes. It was then that Sora truly saw him. He was not the child she had tried to make him into.. He was now a man, a man of darkness, but a man. The lighting of the room cast a malevolent shadow over his features giving him a more rigid exterior. He looked as though he were actually a bronze statue carved by some medieval cult bent on demon worship. It was the eyes which gave him the impression of demonic rage as he contemplated the position he had been thrust into. The eyes were the window to the soul, yet his offered a viewpoint into a struggle as old as man can recall: good and evil, love and hate, peace and war, light and dark.

  
  


Sora found herself drawn to those eyes, the eyes she had admired forever, yet never truly studied enough to divine the nature of the boy beyond. He was genesis and Taichi.... a man walking the razor's edge of good and evil... as she remain fixated on him she recalled him.. He had these eyes from every memory she could draw back. The same feral glow that mirrored the eyes of a wolf.. Wild. You cannot change the ones you love... but you can change yourself. She wanted him more then ever in her entire life, not just his body or his words, or even his mind.. She wanted to be a part of this storm of emotion and power. Wanted to open her arms to truly love this boy who was so a part of her heart. She had never allowed herself to see this in him.. Never allowed herself to love the whole Taichi., yet here she was... standing before the boy who she had become so infatuated with that just loving a part of him was equal to a life of pure joy... she could mearly imagine the depths of passion she could sink to if allowed to love him in his entirety.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"It doesn't matter anymore..." he turned to face her with a look of question upon his radiant eyes.

  
  


"It doesn't matter if you are Taichi or genesis... I have fallen in love with both of them. I have waited too long for you... I am not about to run and hide. I love you as Taichi or as genesis.."

  
  
  
  


He smiled softly as he took her into his arms. She had grown up so much... but they were done acting like kids now... for better or worse they had grown up. They had grown up amidst the cries of death, passion, and hatred, and from the fires of war they were forged into adulthood. it was time to show the empire exactly what they were dealing with....

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Within our hearts a war is waged**

**amidst the song of both hatred and love we are born**

**light battles darkness**

**but as evil claws and slashes in a blood-lusting pace where does good stand?**

**Would the angels of heaven battle with the same lust as the minions of hell,**

**or would they manage to battle with a dignity about them as they cut down devils like grain at harvest?**

**Is it possible to wage a war of dignity despite the antics of evil?**

**And in the end should good triumph...**

**Would they have the slightest air of angelicness as they stood atop the hoards of demonic dead?**

**or would war turn even the most righteous wicked?**

**This is the way of man, but is it the way of angels and devils alike?**

  
  


**A lot of questions without easy answers...**

**And much to the uneasiness of man this war is waged within his own heart.**

  
  


**The riddle is:**

  
  


**when the war is finished, who will be victorious in your heart**

** and will good still be distinguishable over evil?**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Not The End....**

   [1]: mailto:logan91235@aol.com



	7. Genesis 7

Disclaimer: I don't own tai and Sora or any other licensed characters. Ok.. Genesis 7.... wow.. This one came out relatively fast... I was intending to make this the second to last episode of the series.. But guess not.. There are at least two more. To borrow a phrase from everyone's favorite homicidal digimon clown (Piadmon) _"The cast is assembled.. The stage is now set... it is at long last time to raise the curtain for the final act."_ I must say I am going to miss genesis when it's done.. But I am looking forward to getting back to my taiora fics... I have some ideas that I am really looking forward to writing. ^_^. This chapter is setting the stage for some major fights.. The lords are going up against the burning dawn.. The empire's true plot revealed.. Needless to say next chapter is going to be a bit on the violent side.. But oh well... I hope you enjoy part 7..

Email me at [logan91235@aol.com][1]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_Genesis_**

**_6_**

  
  
  
  


By Logan

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**"The Clash"**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


He listened to the calling of the crowd. They chorused outward in thousands of voices into one great voice. And the voice called for blood. His eyes were closed tightly as he listened to the chanting of the masses. They were cheering for the combatants to make their way to the arena. And as they sang outward with their chant for blood and death Taichi felt a wave of sensations as he digested the situation. 

  
  


Sora had been taken from him in the night. He was half asleep as he felt the tranquilizer dart embed itself within his leg. As he looked to his right he found that they had fired a dart at Sora as well. She was wobbling weakly as Taichi tried to protect her. yet the drugs were strong, and without the genesis to counteract the paralyzing agent of the darts he was no help.

Tai snarled at himself as he remembered slumping to his knees before Sora who was on the edge of consciousness. They had taken her from him... abducted her... and him for that matter. As he awoke he found himself here within the steel cell that would predate the arena. Apparently they were taking no chances of letting him get away. Evident by the steady glow of the disruption orb which was sitting at the emperor's side overhead. His thoughts were filled with self-hate as he replayed the image of the drugged Sora being pulled from his weak arms. But what truly tormented him was the image of the guard who took her from his arms. Collin...

  
  


Tai felt a surge of weakness within him, despite the fact that the drug had worn off. He hadn't protected Sora.. And the one person he trusted at this point was the very person who pulled her away from him. Collin was loyal to the empire, genesis had known this, but to witness it was worse. His betrayal cut deeply. In a effort to draw his mind from the pain of losing Sora and Collin Taichi focused on his surroundings.

  
  


The cell was of neo-titanium, it was nothing more complex then a box with a hinged door at front. It was hot against his touch. He allowed himself to see beyond the steely walls to the arena beyond. There was a faint scent of blood on the wind, the faint coppery aroma blended with that of rose petals and the sweet smell of perspiration. The combination was not entirely unpleasant. He pictured the world beyond his cage from memory of previous battles he had witnessed here. It was a large oval-like arena with tall walls to separate the combatants from the crowd. Beyond those Stoney walls was row after row of bleachers where thousands and thousands would be waiting for the show. In the mid-center of the bleachers there would be an elevation which was separate from the crowd. It was upon that incline that ken would be. He would watch from the incline with delight at tai's battle. Most likely the lords would be at his side from their seats.

The question was however: 'where would Sora be?'

  
  


Ken most likely would put her in plain sight -guarded by several men with swords to her throat-. She would be in perfect health, dressed in regal attire most likely. But she would be there. Taichi drew his mind away from Sora, for the image of her would draw him back to his failings with her, and right now he didn't want to think of that. His mind would need to be sharp for what was coming... it would be a continuous fight for him- no breaks- as combatants of many types and skills would have their chance to win the prize for his life. Ken would make it a very beneficial victory for them. they would either win their freedom or a place in the empire of great stature.. Perhaps the status of a lord.

  
  


Tai became aware that he was naked. Apparently the guards had stripped him of his shredded attire while he was still drugged. As he awoke his mind was still too hazy to identify that he was nude, instead it had focused on the whereabouts of Sora. He glanced into the darkness of the steel coffin only to find clothing folded neatly at the front. He walked to the pile only to find it was his own battle attire. He smiled softly as he retrieved a pair of baggy black pants. He dressed quickly as he flexed his muscle against the tightness of his shirt which was also black. He put on his boots and belt, then began to strap on the various pieces of blackened armor. He was grinning softly as he fingered the breastplate of his armor. To him it was an old friend, a nostalgic relic of days when his life was simple. It fit him well; custom made to accentuate his strong and athletic frame. Then he reached for the final article: his sword.

  
  


He was received to find it here. The steel was of better quality than most, it was well balanced, and sharpened. It was a small comfort that ken had not handed him a faulty weapon which would be as good as shackling his wrists together in this fight. Tai withdrew the blade and studied it intently. It was a broadsword, yet not of the gargantuan perportune common to broadswords. It was a thing of beauty to Taichi as he spun the weapon in his grip before stowing it within its sheath at his side. He reached back into his hair, pulling it back from his eyes. The chestnut brown hair was long and flowing, though Taichi liked the look and feel of longer hair he did note that it was a nuisance on more then one occasion, battle being one of such circumstances.

He closed his eyes again and listened to the crowd.

  
  
  
  
  
  


*****************************

  
  
  
  
  
  


the large briefing room was filled with the words of a frantic and confused group. All the leaders of the burning dawn were assembled for this emergency meeting. They had been briefed as to the current situation with lady Kamiya, and now were locked in a panic for a thousand reasons: 

  
  


Sora was the figurehead of the burning dawn. She was known as the 'angel of fire' to many, a term given to her by the empire soldiers as a way of describing her appearance of love yet her warlike capacity to burn through forces. This reputation had won them many followers.

  
  


She had also rescued many of the knights of the burning dawn herself. Saved them from the various positions the emperor had cast them. she had rescued brothel girls and restored their respect. She had taken in the abandoned and shunned, given them friends and a position of stature.

  
  


These were just two of the millions of reasons that Sora was too valuable and loved then to be abandoned to the empire. Most of the generals within the burning dawn had been her friends, the same friends who had seen her when Taichi died. They had witnessed her pain and her perseverance as she dawned the strength to lead them. they could not leave her now.. TK had told them all he knew. All about Sora and about Taichi. The news was like leaping into icy water. As soon as you leap in you are shocked into a paralyzed state by the sudden shock of the frigid waters. While Davis, Cody, Yolie, and a few other of the newer generals handled the news with a respectable amount of acceptance the original digidestined did not. Tai was their hero, their savior. His name had become legend to all occupants of the digital world and to the chosen children. Thus the revelation that he was alive and resurrected in the form of the most powerful being in existence was a massive shock to them.

  
  
  
  


Mimi had stared off into the darkened expanse of the room, her eyes were silent as she contemplated the news. She had became religious as of late. It was a common side effect for those who were involved in the war. They watched their friends and loved-ones killed in a battle of grueling death. It was all the mind could do for solace to accept that they had ascended to a higher plain.. That their suffering had ended. The result was a strange calmness within the once overactive brunette. She had became the one people turned to for comfort. It was a reaction few of the original digidestined could explain by comparing the two Mimis. She gave off a strange comfort about her, the same sense which a mother can radiate upon a frightened child. It was like Sora in a way. Before the death of tai she was the group's mother, now that she was leader that side seemed more isolated. Though it was there beneath the armor that side to Sora Takenouchi seemed so very far away as of late.

  
  


Mimi remained as a statue while TK spoke, yet as he began speaking of rescue missions her hand tightened over izzy's. He glanced to her with a strange expression. He had loved her -for what seemed like- forever. His expression turned to a tender smile as he squeezed back. Between the two was a silent communion in which Mimi was telling izzy that she wanted to help in the effort. He replied with a adamant squeeze of agreement. He truly had grown to love her, to relish every kiss and touch they shared, he had seen Sora regret losing that with tai, he would never pass up an opportunity to hold her within his arms or taste her lips. This fact was evident in the fact that she was the only girl there was who possessed the ability to pull izzy away from his computer. They returned their attention to the voice of Takeru.

  
  


"It should be known that Sora would never condone a rescue attempt. I will take full responsibility for this operation.

  
  


"We have an opportunity here... ken will be at the arena, as will his lords. The empire will be open to assault by a controlled force. We will be able to get right into the heart of the empire then tear it apart from the inside. A fast attack and rescue operation could cripple the entire empire in minutes." TK began punching keys on the com, the result was the image of the arena flickering on. The diagram showed the location of the emperor's private viewing platform in the arena. A second series of key-taps and the diagram showed a cut-out view that illustrated passages which led to this location and the positions the guards would be stationed.

  
  


"As you can see.. The guards are a joke. A hundred at best, easily taken out.. Reconnaissance has shown they will be holding Sora here..." he motioned to a platform several feet away from where the empire.

  
  


"But we still have the problem that the lords will be present... the lords are more dangerous then three-hundred guards each. This won't be an easy fight by any means... but I do believe we can win... if we can take out the emperor alone it's worth it.. 

  
  


I'm not anything like lady Kamiya or Taichi.. They're real leaders, heros... but I believe that if we can save them, and eliminate the emperor in the process.. All that we've done will be worth it.. All the sacrifices.. All the death... it could all end if we do this one thing right. If we move on this now we could end this war. And maybe we could get back some of what we've lost.

  
  


He motioned to izzy who gave Mimi a final squeeze as he took his place in front of the precession.

He gave a faint smile to them as he cleared his throat in a manner that seemed more for drama then necessity.

  
  


"Based on the tactical analysis of the arena ground plan I have devised a series of attack locations for optimal efficiency." he paused as he noted Davis' blank expression. He continued on a more simple topic. "We have a problem... it is possible that if ken is able to escape, -or get out word- He could have all prisoners and laborers killed. It is within the realm of possibility that he would lash out at us one final time if he thought we had won. Thus we will have to make a three pronged attack:

  
  


the first objective is the rescue of Sora and tai..

  
  


The second is the assassination of the empire and his lords...

  
  


The final objective is to liberate all enslaved people within the empire's labor division can do part of that with a computer virus. But frankly I'm not willing to trust their lives to just that. I plan to lead a small assault team to free them. I'll be taking some of the C-class tech operatives, since they aren't as useful in a serious combat situation but would be able to assist us in a simple offense."

  
  
  
  


"But izzy... you're people aren't combat certified.. We should be sending field operatives" Kari interjected, yet was silenced as he turned to face her.

  
  


"You're right.. But do you think you're ready to take on the four most power digital humans and a emperor who is capable of tapping in on the genesis force with even less battle trained fighters? Don't worry Kari." he grinned. "In my day I was pretty proficient as a field agent..." 

  
  


He smirked as he recalled the days gone by where he was fighting right alongside Sora. Izzy had always longed for the excitement of the fight.. Perhaps it was the way tai had described it to him.. The thrill of the fight. Thus in the first battles of the burning dawn he had fought as a general. It was as tai described it. He could feel the blood pumping with a new ferocity that he had never known from line of code. After he retired from the hard life of a fighter he was filled with bittersweet emotion. 

  
  


On one hand he would give up a part of himself he loved, a part that linked him to his friend tai. He would cast off the thrill and feeling of life that had come to empower him. But when Mimi had agreed to become his wife. He knew that he couldn't start a real life with her if he was so ready to jump into a situation he may die in... in the end chose love over adventure, as he knew Taichi would have done given the same chance with Sora. But he still heard the call baying to him from across the threshold of the lab. He could feel the all-too familiar need which possessed him still, though pushed aside.

  
  


"Frankly, this operation is nothing to what the primary force is going to have to do. The tactical plan is a simple one. The strongest of our generals will engage the lords. We do not encourage revenge, your loyalties are to the team, not specific lords you want revenge on.." he trailed off as he shuffled a file within its folder.

  
  


"But.. I feel that certain individuals are better suited to various opponents. Now if these designated targets happen to be someone you want to kill for personal reasons.. That's purely coincidental..." izzy gave a soft grin. He knew that half the reason each of them was here was because they had a score to settle.. And though he feared he would send them to their graves by allowing them to take on their own nemesis in this battle... he wouldn't deny them the chance for justice... he recalled the images of his parents-dead and twisted- under the wreckage of their home. Had he known who was responsible for putting them there, he would have hunted them to the ends of the earth. He couldn't deny them that right...

  
  


"Here's the line-up. Now remember that this is only a base plan, if you get a chance to put a sword through the emperor's back at any junction... do it. 

  
  


But basically here is your designated targets"

  
  


"You will forgive my rudeness koshiro, but I will be dealing with Grendle. The honor can only be restored to my family if I purge his evil." Cody spoke in his shrouded voice with such authority that izzy was forced to simply sigh in defeat and nod in agreement. It was pointless to argue with an assassin, despite the fact that he had already decided that Cody would be dealing with his grandfather.

  
  


"Kari... your sorcery based power is the closest we have to match Dayus's abilities.. I know you don't like to kill, but you are the best we have to terminate him."

  
  


"Actually I wanted him... he tortures innocents for fun.. I don't like killing some people, but for him... I'll make an exception...."

  
  


"Kari..." TK whispered softly as he stroked her hand.

  
  


"Remember what I told you before? I'm tired of being protected... I can actually do some good here.. I know you want to keep me safe... but.. I need you to have faith in me." he softened sadly.

  
  


"Hope is faith... I've always had it in you.." the scene was cut by the cold and monotone voice of izzy.

  
  


"TK... sorry to interrupt, but at best we have two hours before deadline we need to get the briefing over as soon as possible. Takeru... aside from lady Kamiya you are our strongest fighter. You possess a considerable capacity for light elemental attacks.. As-well as a proficiency with a sword. This combination makes you one of our better choices to..." he was cut off.

  
  


"You want me to fight Sephiroth don't you?" he replied coldly.

  
  


"Well.. Yes..." he replied dumbly.

  
  


"I suppose it's time I stopped running from the past, and face it." he said in a voice of icy clarity as he swiftly rose to his feet. His features were rigid and devoid of mirth with a suddenness of water freezing to sheets of ice. He transformed from the TK they knew to a Takeru known by his enemies-darkened and menacing.- Only against creatures of darkness was he made to this form of sheer Stoney wrath. And this rigid posture was now result of the name of Sephiroth.

  
  


"Takeru... What was that supposed to mean? Do you have some information about Sephiroth which I don't?" curiously he probed, yet TK was already making his exit. Kari cast a sad smile to him as he turned away.

  
  


"It's nothing that concerns you koshiro... this is a family matter."

  
  


he disappeared behind the darkened threshold leaving many blank expressions. Izzy's eyes slowly opened more widely as the implication of his words hit. He mearly breathed out a muffled "oh my..." testament to his ability to absorb information and maintain a rational disposition izzy was able to continue with his briefing with no delay.

  
  


"Davis will take lady kale. I know you want the emperor himself, but we need to remove the lords first. With Sora missing in action we are undermanned, thus you will need to pick up the slack. 

  
  


If the opportunity arises, rescue Sora and genesis.. But that is not top priority. Neither of them would want you to make them first and the fight second priority. It's sad but true. Lady Kamiya would never condone passing up an opportunity to end this nightmare... thus she is second priority. Plus... if I know Sora or tai they will not be sitting there helpless. I'm sure that when we first attack they'll seize the opportunity..." he paused as he observed the serious expressions on each of their faces. They were pale as they contemplated the recent turn of events. After years of war they had reached a moment when it could all end. The years of blood and torture, the screams in the night, the experimentation, the fear... it could all end in one decisive moment. This knowledge was clear to each of them as they contemplated a life without war... they could actually regain some air of normalcy.

  
  


"Joe, Mimi.... you will be acting as field medics. Odds are you'll be more busy then any of the rest of us..." he was grim as he said it, for it was clear that this plan would have consequences. And as he studied the faces of his friends -family- he couldn't help but wonder exactly how many of them would live long enough to see this new world they were creating.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*****************************

  
  
  
  
  
  


It had been a half hour since the briefing. Now was the time of preparation for both battle and if need be.. Death. Now was the time for checking your weapons for readiness- loading your guns and putting a final sharpened edge on your swords and daggers- it was a time for those who preyed to make peace with god. It was also the time some soldiers made love to their wives and girlfriends, each haunted by the idea that it may be the last time they could. There was an eerie calm in the air as each man made his final preparations for battle. Yet in Davis and Yolie's room the calm was broken by a snarling fight shared between the two.

  
  


"You are not fighting!!" Davis bellowed in a snarling roar.

  
  


"Like hell I'm not!" she snapped back at him

  
  


"Come on li... you are a intelligence officer not a fighter!"

  
  


"Damn you Davis listen to me!" she screamed in rage as she pushed him away from her. his eyes were wide as they fell upon her own. her soft eyes were shimmering with tears as she snarled at him with a combination of a growl and a whimper.

  
  


"Davis, my family is in that slave camp." she whipped the tears from her eyes with a low shuddering murmur.

  
  


"Li.. Izzy can save them without you.. You don't need to go. They'll be ok." he tried his best to comfort her with his voice as it was clear she would be more then likely to punch him in the eye if he tried to put his hands on her right now.

  
  


"I can't count on that Davis.. I have to be there for them." he opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by her sharp gaze.

  
  


"You are a real wuss Davis! You think it's scary going off to battle? Try staying home once while someone you love goes off to die. I have to live with that each day. Live with the idea that you may not come home this time. You know what? I'm sick of it! Sick of the whole damn thing!" Davis was shaking visibly as she spoke. He was terrified that she would leave him now. It was strange to him that she had been so un-wanted in the beginning, yet now that he was on the verge of losing her... she seemed so precious.

  
  


"Davis I hate you sometimes! But usually I hate myself more! How the hell did I fall in love with someone like you!?! you're rude, a real jerk sometimes, stupid, spoiled, you only care about getting revenge on the emperor, obnoxious, annoying, sweet, kind, loving, strong, dependable, handsome, trustworthy...." she faded off as her voice tremored with tears which welled from within and leaked from her eyes.

  
  


"I hate you because you only care about killing the emperor and that you're probably going to die doing it.. I hate it that you're so ready to give up everything for him... so ready to give up me for him." Davis managed to pull himself from his stupor and take her into his arms. She didn't strike him as he had feared - simply cried against his chest-. 

  
  


"Revenge is all you live for Davis.. And when ken is dead you won't want to live at all.. So please don't deny me the chance to get my family back before I loose you." she cried against his chest, causing a surge of emotion from Davis. He felt a throbbing pain in his heart- the same pain he felt when jun was taken away. He realized now that he did truly love her. for all their fights, he was officially head over heels in love with her.

  
  


He drew his lips to her ear. "Yolie... maybe I have something else to live for besides revenge."

  
  


Their eyes met in a soft communion.

  
  


"I loved you from the first day moron." she grinned tearily against him.

  
  


"I loved you from the first time you insulted me... brat." he smiled

  
  


he whipped the tears from her eyes, then padded across the room to retrieved something from a large wooden chest. Yolie looked at him with question. From within the darkened expanse of the chest he withdrew a bundle of both fabric and armor. It was bundled neatly- very uncharacteristic for Davis.

  
  


"This was the first armor I wore when I cam here.. Guess I was saving it for posterity. But I think it's about your size. If you're going to be stupid enough to go fight might as well look like a fighter." he smiled softly as he separated each of the articles. He grinned warmly as Yolie turned her back to him and pulled away her shirt. 

  
  


Davis was blushing madly as he slipped the black spandex undershirt over her. it took every last ounce of self control he possessed, but he was able to get the shirt over her without sneaking a peek. putting on armor is usually a difficult task alone. It requires a seemingly impossible series of straps and locks in the most impossible locations. Yolie had gotten into the habit of putting his armor on for him. It was an act of tenderness between them as she carefully strapped the steely shell over his chest and arms. Now the act was turned to her as she allowed Davis to attach the gear that would protect her. The black spandex body-suit hugged curves that made Davis subconsciously wipe nonexisting drool from his lips. He was tender with her as he gently fixed her hair away from her face. In the end as he stared at her in his old armor.. He definitely thought she looked better in it then he did.

  
  
  
  


"Li?"

  
  


"Yeah?"

  
  


"Would you have a problem with it if I switched places with izzy? I'm still not crazy about you going in there without someone with a bit of experience.."

  
  


"You would give up your chance with the emperor for me?"

  
  


"You were right, if I live only for hatred, then when ken dies.. I die too. Plus I kinda would like to meet your parents, you know, see if it's genetic." he grinned

  
  


"And what is that supposed to mean? I have some kind of genetic disorder?" she quipped.

  
  


"I don't know if being annoying is a genetic problem. Hope it isn't for our kids' sake"

  
  


"And who says I would breed with you, moron?" she laughed as she kissed him. 

  
  
  
  


"Brat..."

  
  


"Pain.."

  
  


"twerp.."

  
  


" hour and a half before we need to be at the rendevous point...."

  
  


"Lets not waste any time then." Yolie grinned broadly

  
  
  
  
  
  


*****************************

  
  
  
  


"I suppose I should be honored.... getting such a nice view of the arena. I hear people pay thousands for a seat half as good as mine. Plus, to be escorted by such a distinguished usher..." Sora spoke in a tone that was more the result of uniting a drunk's rambling with the hateful growl of a feral animal.

  
  


"Would you please stop referring to me as an usher.... I am sovereign over this entire world." ken growled as he lead her and several armed guards down the stone walkway to the alcove where Sora would be held. She had been dressed in her traditional battle attire which had been confiscated in genesis' chamber.

  
  


"Like hell you are.. You're just a spoiled child who has no grip on life and what it is to be human. I have watched digimon rip the still beating hearts from their prey, then eat it, but they are more human then you emperor. I have watched a clan warrior gnaw himself free of a building which crashed over him. He chewed off his arm, at the elbow. But once he was free, the animal took over. He ate his arm after he pulled it out.. But he was more human than you, because I cannot blame an animal for acting like an animal. You emperor... you are a human.. Yet there is no humanity in you. In the end -lord of plague- you'll be sovereign of hell." she smiled darkly at him in a manner that made him pale.

  
  


"That's the tranquilizers talking.. We gave you the same dosage as genesis. Saved time. It was hardly strong enough to knock him out... but for you... it's just like being very drunk. You don't know what you're saying." he replied stolidly

  
  


"Look into my eyes ken..." he did out of curiosity. They glowed with luminescent flame, the same as the sun burns within the last throws of sunset.

  
  


"I am completely lucid. You've done evil things, things that are no longer forgivable. There is only one person in this world who still loves you. You are making him fight to the death. But you won't have tai's life on your conscience, because he will survive. 

But in the end... will even he mourn your death? This world won't. You're lords will be dead, your slaves freed. Intelligence shows you have no family... so tell me sovereign of sorrow, who will miss you when you die?" he stared at her darkly as he studied her features. He could have her killed right now.. Have her neck broken. Have her burned to death. Torture her to the point she wouldn't know her own name. He could even rape her as a means to show her exactly who had power over who. But inspite of all this -she was un-afraid-. His voice turned hateful as he began to growl out words.

  
  


"Tell me lady Kamiya, or lady Sora Takenouchi, or whatever the hell you want to be known as. Do you remember the world before me? How it was?

  
  


You're a pretty girl.. A girl like you couldn't walk down the street at night without being mugged, beaten, raped, then murdered. The world was on the verge of death.. I gave it order and purpose again.

  
  


The digital world.. It was a place of savage beasts. They hunted and killed like animals. The strong fed upon the weak. The virus shredded the data and vaccine with the same care a lion shows for the lamb. It was hell.. I made it civilized....

  
  


Humans have stopped evolving. They just sit there, comfortable in their technology, and their medicine. The old live long enough to pass on their weak genes. The sick can have children and pollute the gene pool. By merging the worlds I forced us to evolve. And once I finish the job, we will all be united in perfection.."

  
  


"And what would we be evolving into, something like you? A cruel and merciless man, one who is incapable of feeling or knowing what it is to be human? Are you the measure of perfection? Because if you are what we are genetically predisposed to become... then I feel real pity for the whole fucking species." Sora spat.

  
  
  
  


"You have no idea the scope of my dream for this world!" he snarled. Sora smiled softly as she reveled in the fact that she had pushed him past his cool demeanor.

  
  


"'Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.' That's what you're making for us... A nightmare. A world where there is only death and slavery. You're a fool emperor!" Sora reeled backward as his hand collided with her face. He was pretty strong for his position. One wouldn't think that a diplomat would be strong, but this one was. She smiled softly as she traced the blood on her lips with her tongue. It hurt, but it was just pain.. She smiled softly as she stared up at him.

  
  


"I am not a fool! I am a genius! Never call me that, or I swear that I will slit you open and hang you from a wall!!"

  
  


"For such a genius you are so stupid... I know whatever you are trying to do involves tai. You're so gun-ho about him fighting. That means you need the genesis for something. But he won't fight if I am dead... tai would end his life the second he knew...

  
  


You're depending on him...

  
  


You are weak emperor... you are dependant on tai.. And now you are dependant on me..." ken stared blankly at her.

  
  


"Feel it bastard.. The powerlessness... if I rush you now.. The guards would have to use those shotguns to kill me. They would end my life to save yours. But if tai saw that I wasn't there in that arena.. He would let whoever you pit him against kill him. And if he dies.. You loose. You suck as a planner... you stink of desperation.

  
  


I don't pretend to comprehend what you have in mind... but you are so afraid that if things don't go perfectly... you won't get your prize...." ken was silent as she looked at him with a dark smile upon her pink lips.

  
  


"But don't worry.. For the time being I don't want to die. Oh, don't get me wrong.. I am prepared to give my life for this world. I would just prefer to get to live with Taichi after this ends. I want to watch you when you realize who you're dealing with... who Taichi Kamiya is...

  
  


He is a great man. A leader.. And in the end he will win. He'll beat you emperor.

  
  


But in the mean time... I want you to know that all of your dreams for perfection over us.. They are crap. I could topple your plans right here and now... you are powerless ken... and the fun thing is... you know it." she smiled cutely as she spat in his face. His eyes were wide with both hatred, rage, and helplessness as he whipped the blood and spit from his face. He was helpless.. And he did know it....

  
  


"Now.. Lets get moving... I don't want to miss seeing tai beat the crap out of the people you set up for him to fight."

  
  


She began walking as ken remained staring at her with bubbling rage. His eyes were burning with cold fire as he watched her walk away.

  
  


"Have your fun bitch... I'll have mine soon enough..."

  
  
  
  
  
  


*****************************

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


For as long as he could recall the emperor had possessed a limitless fascination for life's many sciences. The magics of fate and of existence were not found within the ivory page of a theology book, they were instead housed within the volumes of a reference book. Science was the true key to the fates, the real magic. And to the young emperor it was his magic.. A force of suck divine power, which existed only for him.. He had studied mathematics, physiology, psychology, biology, anatomy, chemistry, the digital sciences, and genetics. The field of genetics is where he truly saw potential. For all life was based here.. In the cell all life begins. From the solitary nuclei the fire of life explodes and grows forth as in a frenzied pace. It was here that ken found his first passion.. The passion that comes from the power of a god.

  
  


They were the Saurians.. A race born of the emperor's hand. They had been an experiment on base genetic composition from human to dramon DNA. The original intent was to create a super-soldier, an animal with the strength of one of the strongest classes of digimon combined with the mind of a man. Grendle was classified as a saurian, yet he was diverged from the rest of his race. The Saurians began with an intelligence comparable to Grendle, yet within a week of creation they began to devolve into savage beasts. It was never known why Grendle was able to remain sentient, though he had confided that the urge to digress was a great one. He could feel the desire to be savage within himself, yet he managed to maintain discipline enough. They came to be known as the regressives, Saurians who hungered for battle, and for death. The project was halted immediately due to the fact that a race of killer Grendles would be enough to put the empire itself into jeopardy. But there were benefits to having a race of semi intelligent Grendles who lusted only for the savage delights of a predator: to hunt and kill, to eat and drink, and to mate. What drew them to the arena was the first delight of the predator, to kill.

  
  
  
  


*****************************

  
  


the doors creaked out in a steely cry. The sound of metal scraping on metal was enough to cause your jaws to involuntarily grind teeth to enamel. The steely box was slowly opening for him. First a small beam of radiant life, then a larger beam. The day outside was bright -no cloud in sight-. It was perfect for the events of the day. Blood-sport was best enjoyed on a cheery day... the sun would really illuminate the splash of red as a man fell. Taichi had moments when he questioned the specie's right to survive. But then again he thought to Sora. She had offered him a light with which he could view the creature human.

  
  


He had seen the race of man for so long as a creature of perverse delight, yet Sora showed him something more. He recalled aries -the sweet little girl from the flower shop-. He saw that in some ways people did deserve extinction... but in others there was hope... TK. He was a face remembered now. A boy who was innocent once... a boy who didn't deserve this life of despair. Kari. She was blood; his blood, yet he could not look upon her yet. He had done too much to be granted the right to look upon his sister again.

  
  


Taichi. The boy who had been a martyr. Then a lover. Then a destroyer. A gladiator now. Then..... Perhaps... a savior. He had been a hero once, long ago. Perhaps it was time to reclaim that right. He stepped forward from the confines of the dark box of steel into the blinding light of day.. Into the arena.

  
  
  
  


The air was hot that day, flavored with a thousand smells and sounds. As tai stepped from the threshold of his steely coffin he closed his eyes. He had been in darkness so long that he had to adjust to the day again. The crowd exploded with cheer as he came to view. The blackened armor he wore glistened in the day like polished onyx. As his eyes adjusted to the scene he felt the soft touch of flower petals against his skin. -common practice to glamorize the experience for the crowd.- He studied the petals as he looked up to his opponent.

  
  
  
  


The saurian stood before him like a statue of marble. It was huge-twice the size of a man- covered in muscle and armored scales. He had a pair of glowing white eyes, which radiated outward in a hellish effect. He was different from Grendle. While Grendle had blackish scales, this creature had a beautiful assortment of blueish-green. His head was crowned with a long assortment of horns. He resembled a triceratops of prehistoric origins, yet this was no dinosaur. His body was a massive conglomeration of muscles on muscles. They bulged outward intimidating. He wore no shirt or armor on his upper body. Just his bear 'chest' which was colored with a pale milky blue hue. He was tattooed with various blackened tribal designs.

  
  


He roared with fury as he looked upon tai, and as he did, his long beaked snout opened to reveal a vast collection of wickedly sharp fangs- like the ferocious incises of a baboon-. He held his weapon in his two catcher's mitt-like claws. It was a sword, designed for use only by the Saurians. entirely because no human could dream of lifting a weapon like this in battle. The blade was the size of a man- long and razored- it would weigh a ton- and should it come crashing down on you in battle, no armor could keep you from being split open like the shell of a peanut.

  
  
  
  


The voice carried over the cheering with a great magnitude: "Children of the empire! Today I give you vison as to the fate of a traitor! Here we have the genesis knight.. My own brother! He betrayed us for her!" ken motioned to lady Kamiya who stood upon the walkway at the imperial terrace. She made no gesture- just looked down at Taichi-. She was beautiful. Her hair was flowing wildly in the winds of the high altitude. All were silent as she spoke.

  
  


"People who thirst for freedom! I implore you to watch! This boy is Taichi Kamiya, rightful leader of the burning dawn! Look upon him, and the emperor! He is being made to fight and kill to save lives... this is the work of the empire! I beg you to see just how horrible this is! The death and carnage. It is not genesis who is responsible for this! It's the emperor! See him for what he is! A monster!" she was cut short as the butt of a shotgun crashed against the back of her head.

  
  


Tai leapt forward, vet stopped as she regained her composure-unhurt-.

  
  


"Hello Collin... nice shot there." Sora growled as she rubbed her head in pain.

  
  


"Watch your mouth, I am still an Imperial soldier. If you make me.. I will keep you under control." he replied coldly. Tai stared at him with darkened eyes...

  
  
  
  


"SEE THE FATE OF THOSE WHO FIGHT THE EMPIRE!!" ken snarled out in a roar as he motioned to the fighters.

  
  


The saurian bowed to him with a reptilian hiss. " I am Drego Of the Raptor clan. I sssssshall sssshred thissss human assss proof of ssssaurian power!"

  
  


Taichi was motioned to face the emperor. He spat at the ground before him. 

  
  


"I am Taichi Kamiya, of the Burning Dawn... 

  
  


why I fight and who I fight for are none of your damn business. You put us here for your amusement... to see just what a digidestined can do... well keep your eyes open brother... I have something to show you." he smirked.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*****************************

  
  
  
  


"Are we ready?"

  
  


"No... our forces are not in optimal position yet. We have to wait until all our people are in the perfect position to preform a fast assault." the radio replied.

  
  
  
  


"Damn it.. We may not have time. Get a move on!"

  
  
  
  
  
  


*****************************

  
  
  
  
  
  


the saurian lunged forward. His fangs were beared in a feral war cry as the massive blade swung like a massive guillotine. The sheer force of the swing would make blocking impossible. The force would slice through a sword like tin. Taichi leapt backward as the edge nearly raked through his rib-cage. He leapt backwards with great agility as the dragon leapt forward. He was strong. He could compensate for the blade's momentum with little effort.

  
  


Tai leapt aside again as the weapon slashed a deep cut in the sandy arena floor. Like the foam from the ocean waves a mist of sand flew through the air as the saurian continued his bombardment. Tai growled darkly as the weapon cut a gash in his arm. God it was sharp. His arm began to bleed freely as he sidestepped another series of lunges. He snarled hatefully at tai as the boy avoided another onslaught of wide swings and deep thrusts. He leapt away with a graceful back-flip. His cloak flew at his side like black wings of some dark angel.

  
  
  
  


"DIE HUMAN!!!" it snarled as it leapt for him. The creature was not with wings.. Though his movements almost gave the illusion of flight. His weapon was held overhead in preparation for a great downward stroke. Yet that presented an opportunity.

  
  


Tai shot forward like a demonic rocket fired from hell. He rushed the great dragon with speed matching his adversary- then surpassing him. The dragon saw this and prepared to strike him down early, yet he was too slow. As the massive saurian brought the weapon down, Taichi pivoted to one side of the massive creature. And as he passed by his razor sword traveled against the bluish green side of the dragon man. The wound was not fatal, but it was enough to throw off the movement of the swing. The dragon screamed in rage as his sword embedded itself within the ground.

  
  


As he was off balance, Taichi spun around and buried the weapon within the creatures shoulder. The dragon howled in agony as the neo-titanium blade rendered his arm immobile in agony. With a great heaving blow the dragon relinquished his blade in favor of his arms. With a demonic burst of strength he spun around- swatting Taichi away like an insect-.

  
  


He rolled away in pain. His arms were tucked around him to hold his throbbing ribs. The sword was still embedded within the creature's back. And from the position where the silvery weapon was entrenched within the animal's muscle he bled freely. He was still stunned by the pain as he staggered about the sandy foreground. Taichi managed to stand- though somewhat wobbly- grinning broadly. This was heaven for him.. He could feel the adrenalin run through him like a drug he had given up for too long. All of life's tribulation and confusion makes more sense in battle. It was as though when he fought he reclaimed something within him. Something was drawn closer with each fight he undertook.

  
  
  
  


Ken paled as he noted the feral grin upon the boy's lips. His gaze turned to Sora who had turned to face him. She smiled darkly as she mouthed out: "this is just the beginning of what tai can do...."

  
  
  
  


Taichi stared at the creature as he wiggled in pain-trying to free the weapon from his back. Their eyes met in a silent understanding. The dragon dropped to all fours in a catlike manner while Taichi as well got lower to the ground in a strange animalistic manner. Then as if there was a shot they both took off for one another. Taichi met the creature midway in the field. The dragon's jaws tried to snap off Taichi's head, yet as they were about to close over him his hands shot upward and gripped his jaws between the fangs. The creature was shocked by the attempt, but far more-so by the fact that he was able to hold the jaws in place. The dragon's usable claw shot to tai. He embedded his talons deep into the boy's shoulder-drawing more blood-. The creature writhed against him as tai's hands began to heave at the jaws. Pulling them open wider and wider...

  
  


The animal struggled against tai as the boy pulled harder. His tail wrapped around Taichi's leg as an anaconda would attempt to asphyxiate its prey. His claw dug deeper into his shoulder. Yet now the pain was by no means discomfort able. It was one step further into the thrill of the fight for tai. The creature began to struggle less fiercely as tai continued prying his jaw backwards. 

Then the struggle ended in a hideous 'snap'. The animal slumped to the ground as a bag of concrete would fall to the earth. Tai glanced down to him, then knelt.

  
  


The Saurians remained in stillness so complete that he looked to be a great blueish stone upon the earth. His jaws hung open at an unnaturally wide grin.. The teeth glistened in the sunlight as sunbaked bones would radiate up from the sands. From the corner of his mouth his red tongue lolled against the sandy floor. Tai was gentle as he touched the slightly blood soaked muzzle. He wasn't bleeding deeply, but the blood was disturbing to view. Tai stroked his brow with gentle movements, then closed his gaping jaws back to a more normal posture.

  
  


"You fought well Drego.. You were a true warrior, you fought well... now you may die in peace." he rose up from the corpse of the dragon and took hold of the hilt of his blade. With a great heave he was able to wrench his sword from the dragon. He stood up and cast a darkened glance to his brother.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*****************************

  
  
  
  
  
  


" He did that without using the genesis force.... emperor... surly we must eradicate him now!" Sephiroth snarled.

  
  


"You're wrong Sephiroth... he's using the power as we speak."

  
  


"What!?! you sent him in there knowing he was still able to use that power!?!" he gaped.

  
  


"The neutralizer is working.. His body has just begun to use the power in conjunction with his human side. The weakening effect of the genesis strain is directly result to his two sides clashing. Basically what I have done is similar to wearing an eyepatch to increase the power of that eye's vision. By forcing him like this.. I have bonded the genesis to Taichi... " ken smiled darkly as tai looked up to him with hatred.

  
  


"Why would you make him even more formidable?" lady kale gaped as she studied his dark expression.

  
  
  
  


Ken chuckled simply as he stared down at Taichi. His dark hair danced in the hot winds of the burning sun. he was calm-devoid of emotion beyond his dark spectrum of humor-. His eyes danced with demonic glee as he studied Taichi. The blood upon his brother's face was strangely exciting for him. The blood glistened as ruby against his bronze flesh. It was as if the blood were anointing ken into higher avenues. He smiled softly.

  
  


"It's time for the next act.... kill lady Kamiya.... and make sure he watches you do it..."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*****************************

  
  


"We need to act now!" Takeru snarled into his com as he watched lady kale begin drawing closer to Sora. The blond was cloaked within the darkness of the shadowy outcropping of the arena. He was hidden from site.. Yet this perfect location offered him a very good view of the activity in the arena and above it. Ken was sending lady kale to kill Sora.... the woman smirked mercilessly as she drew closer and closer to their leader. Lady Kamiya looked to her with cold comprehension that she was being sent to end her life.

  
  


" This is izzy. We aren't in ideal position yet, but you may preceded with your assault at your own discretion." the radio replied in a slightly static-distorted voice.

  
  
  
  


"We're out of time koshiro.. I am implicating the assault now, try to catch up..." he replied as he returned the radio to its place upon his belt. TK threw up his black cloak -revealing the full battle armor-. He turned to face the four men behind him. Casting a quick nod of his head to signal them. without a word spoken to advertise their presence, each of the men pulled back their cloaks and reached to their feet where the weaponry was carefully concealed. They were utterly silent as they heaved the large rocket-launchers upon their shoulders. The weaponry was exceptionally large- as to accommodate for the recoil these weapons would cast out-. 

  
  


Izzy had taken great care into the construction of these heavy weapons. They were for use against heavily armored targets, but the massive destruction would definitely prove useful now - on a less armored target. The long cannon-like appendages pushed outward as the rockets were loaded into the chambers. Each was a single shot weapon, thus aiming was crucial. These four soldiers were among the more gifted marksmen in the burning dawn's elite-core.

  
  


The rockets were 'hybrid-tech' as izzy called it. A mixture of digimon and human technology. The housing of the projectile was of pure human design. The core of each rocket was however of digimon origin. Izzy had studied the technical schematics for machinedramon. The power core he relied upon was quite volatile -as seen by his Giga-cannon attack- thus he simplified the fusion system to a more portable model. It was five times more deadly then a rocket of its size would be without the fusion reactor.

  
  


"Ok.. I want a good spread of destruction over the entire area. Don't try to take out the emperor or the lords.. We need them separated... so focus more on plastering the entire structure..." TK spoke softly to his shooters.

  
  


"Yes sir." they chorused out as TK stepped aside.

  
  


"On a three count..." TK began to make gestures as he counted down. The thought kept repeating within his mind... 'was today the day?'

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*****************************

  
  
  
  
  
  


"It looks like it's time to settle things Kamiya...." lady kale smirked venomously as she continued closer and closer. She was ten feet away as her heat rod began to radiate with brilliant fiery reds. The weapon rose up and extended as a scorpion's tail would in preparation for striking down it's prey.

  
  


"Don't touch her!!" tai's voice roared as both of the women turned to find him clawing his way up the Stoney wall. He was less human then before.. The genesis was helping him as he scuttled up the wall with great speed. His muscles were throbbing as he managed to scale the structure before the guards would be able to get to him. With one final heave, he was able to make his way to the elevation Sora and kale were at. The four guards looked wide-eyed as they saw genesis mearly feet away from them -thoroughly pissed off-. They were frozen in place as they looked upon him. He was hurt... but still beyond dangerous. Collin stared at him for a moment as he prepared his combat-shotgun.

He would handle this like a real soldier.. 

Not a real friend.. 

  
  


But.. 

  
  


He never got the chance...

  
  


Taichi turned, only to find ken staring at him with a dark gleam in his eyes. A moment of silence passed between them before Taichi noticed the revolver in the emperor's hand. He glanced up at ken with a look of question - only to have that question answered with three sharp shots from the weapon point-blank into Taichi's chest.

  
  


"Tai!?!" Sora screamed as he began to fall backwards into the arena. Ken didn't get the chance to cast a single grin over his victory as tai's hand shot forward -gripping him at the neck-. The emperor's eyes widened as he felt himself pulled downward along with tai. The two fell backwards into the gaping mouth of the arena below. 

  
  


Sora's scream was drowned out by the roar of the explosion as the missiles collided with the platform in a great wall of fire and debris. She was vaguely aware as the lords leapt out of the path of the blast. She barely saw lady kale as the force of the blast threw her in the opposite direction. All was still and slow as she surveyed the happenings. 

  
  


Taichi landed hard amidst the sandy arena floor. Yet he didn't fall limply, instead he rolled to a kneeling position upon the carpet of sand. He was hurt.. But not dead. Sora frantically tried to think where he had been shot.. Tried to recall if the blasts had sung out against steel armor. Or 'plopped' within soft skin. She couldn't remember...

  
  


He didn't move from his position.. Yet though she was afraid he may be near dead.. She knew he was not. It was a strange sensation for her. on some level she knew he would be alright. Not completely sure that she could depend on this recent flash of premonition she did want to run to him.. To confirm his health... but she knew this was not likely.. All hell was breaking loose, and she would have to take charge of the situation to assure that it didn't end up killing them all.

  
  
  
  


Sora sprang to action as she lunged for the front guards shotgun. She managed to wrench it from his grip, then spun the barrel to his face. The guard didn't have time to react before his head was blown off amidst a shower of buck-shot. He fell to the ground with a splash of crimson as Sora spun around -driving the muzzle of the weapon hard into the second guard's temple. The force of the impact threw him downward to the floor in a great heap of unconscious flesh.

  
  


Her action was so fast that it dazzled the remaining guard. With a fast pump of the gauge she loaded a new shell into the chamber. The guard frantically tried to pull his own weapon to position, yet was ultimately to slow. Sora held her weapon at hip as she squeezed off another blast. The final guard was thrown backwards as though a invisible giant had punched him. He landed several feet away on the Stoney ground. He didn't move.

  
  


She was prepared to run for the door to her left -just several feet away- but was halted as the barrel of the automatic was placed to her temple. Collin stared at her darkly as he contemplated life's bitter humor. He had liked Sora.. And tai... but in the end it would be him who would do the deed. Ending their love and her life. And should genesis find him.. Ending his own life.

  
  


"You were good.. But you forgot about me..."

  
  


"You're so ready to betray tai? He was your friend Collin.. I was your friend." she replied motionlessly.

  
  


"I am an imperial soldier... I may not like it.. But it's what I am..."

  
  


"It doesn't have to be... you could..."

  
  


"Join the burning dawn..? not likely..."

  
  


"But why not?" she questioned

  
  


"Because I've run from things long enough... 

  
  


first my parents when I left home and traveled across the world to study here..

  
  


Then Shannon.. In the end she was in so much pain it was hell. You know how they show cancer in the movies? That's bullshit! She was in agony the whole time.. Puking blood... Kemo...." he paused.

  
  


"In the end I ran.. I wasn't there when she died. I just couldn't look at her like that. She died without me there!" tears were streaking his hateful eyes.

  
  


"Now I am part of the empire... I am not running again! I will not betray the vow I made to serve ken. I won't run from this like I have run from every hard situation in my life!" he snarled as the weapon was cocked.

  
  


"Collin... You're still running. Killing me won't help you... betraying tai won't either... I know this isn't easy.. But by abandoning your friends you're still trying to escape." she turned so she was facing him. The gun was planted square at her forehead.

  
  


"Collin.. It's time to make a choice. You have two options... 

  
  


one is to follow the empire and pull the trigger.

  
  


The other is to choose your friendship to tai and myself." she slowly reached up and touched his cheek. He was in cold sweats as he looked at her with question in his eyes. She stroked his cheek in a motherly way.

  
  


"I won't blame you for killing me Collin.. But only on one condition: That you will honestly choose to because you love the empire more then us. You have to choose the one that is more important to you.. And not just an easy answer." she closed her eyes as she awaited his choice.

  
  


"Do you know what your name means? Heaven...

  
  


Tai is a lucky guy to have you Sora... seeing you makes me think of Shannon... she had such a love for life.. She treated every day like a gift. That is really rare to see.. Someone who understands just how short life is, and how precious it is, is so hard to find. That is what makes you special Sora. I lost Shannon... I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone... let alone tai"

  
  


"Come on Collin.. Help us." she smiled softly as he nodded. He pulled the gun away from her and reached to his side. He withdrew his sword which he offered her. Collin was less adept with a sword then he was with a gun.. And since Sora was more skilled with a blade.. He gave it to her for use.

  
  


"The guards will be coming in force soon. They're still disorganized by the attack from your people.. But that won't last." 

  
  
  
  


As if on cue the hallway became filled with shouts. The footfalls came in a clattered 'slap slap slap' of heeled boots. Sora glanced around. The drop-off to the arena floor would be to much to risk. If they landed wrong it could twist an ankle. Or worse yet.. Break a bone. At this point in the fight a debilitating injury would mean death. And thus the only possibility was the armored door to the left. They exchanged a worried glance as the voices grew louder. The blast had left a great fire. But the blaze was not concentrated in the hallway. With some care they would pass unburned.. Right into Collin and Sora.

  
  


"Run..."Sora barked.

  
  


They reached the door in a frantic rush. Both were heaving on the underused emergency exit. It was of solid plate steel, and thus awkward and easily rusted frozen. It resembled the hatch of a submarine, with a circular wheel to act as a locking mechanism. Sora and Collin took a firm grip on the wheel and began to strain to get it open. They did not cast a glance tword the coming threat, for it would only slow their escape. Collin could survive if he made a show of either playing hurt, or trying to subdue Sora. But he would not abandon her now.. After coming so close to alienating himself from his true self he would much more gladly find death at the end of a sword then the pain of betraying Sora. 

  
  


It was getting more dangerous by the second... the soldiers would be upon them in moments. And if they couldn't get this door open they would be dead soon enough. Sora was a great fighter. And Collin was well trained.. But between them they were outnumbered. The empire could afford grenades.. Thus if the two were able to hold them off with the shotguns and machine guns, all it would take is one toss of an explosive and both would die.. All was beginning to seem hopeless, yet just as a controlled leap into the arena floor was beginning to look more necessary, the door creaked open. Collin began pulling the now usable door open.

  
  


"Come on Collin!" Sora yelled as she prepared to pass the threshold.

  
  


"Halt in the name of the empire!" one of the soldiers bellowed out as he stared at the two. There were fifteen of them, each armed with rifles. They glanced at Collin with a look of comprehension that he had betrayed them. there would be no mercy.

  
  


"Collin come on!" Sora yelled as he stepped between her and the advancing units. His hand reached behind him and guided Sora beyond the threshold. He remained locked in a tight snarl as he looked at them. 

  
  


"I'm not running anymore.."

  
  


"Collin this is stupid! Come on! We can make it!" she snarled as she clutched his sword tightly.

  
  


" tell tai 'thank you' for me. 

  
  


Live well Sora Kamiya..."

  
  


before Sora could react he heaved the door shut. Then spun the steel lock into a sealed position. He was vaguely aware of Sora's screaming as she pounded against the door. A part of him longed to try to join her. become a hero like tai... but those thoughts were shifted away into the darkness of his mind as he faced the soldiers.

  
  


"Throw down your weapon!" the soldier snarled.

  
  


"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... I shall fear no evil, for tho art with me..." he muttered softly as he drew his gun to his side. He let the words fade from his lips and into his mind where the old prayer was being resounded rhythmically. He drew in deep breaths as he drew the gun even more forward into a fully ready position. He was replied by the soldiers who followed suit and took a ready position.

  
  


"Day of destiny." he whispered.

  
  
  
  


"Last warning! Drop it now!"

  
  


**_"LONG LIVE TAICHI!!!!"_**__ he screamed as broke into a valiant charge as the knights of old had done in the books he read as a boy. His gun screamed round after round as he charged them. in the back of his mind he felt a strange calm as he looked upon the cold grey eyes of a soldier. The man drew his rifle up and took aim...

  
  


Sora cried against the door as she listened to the shot. It rang out darkly as Collin's fire stopped. Then all grew deadly still. There was no noise beyond the door. It was still like a grave as she took her ear away from the cold steely door.

  
  


"Goodbye.. Collin... You were a true friend. You died a hero." Sora tried to remember the phrase Taichi always said after killing a warrior -one he respected- she had heard him use the words as he mourned the loss of Whamon, Chumon, Piximon, and Wizardmon during the battle of the dark masters. It seemed so long ago now... but she could recall him whispering it as he glanced down at the graves Mimi had made for their friends. She recalled matt had called him unfeeling.. She regretted her silence then.. She had not said anything because at the time she and matt were together, but she had known tai long enough to know just how much it hurt him. How he mourned them in his own way. He hadn't cried with the others, for it was not the way of a leader.. But he had suffered their loss upon his heart with more agony then any of the others could comprehend. The words came to her. 

  
  


"You were a true warrior, you fought well... now you may die in peace." she repeated softly as she stood up. 

  
  


Her eyes narrowed darkly as she stared outward into the darkened passageway. She vowed on Collin's name that she would end this war.. That his death would not be a waste.. She would bring this world peace at last.. And bring it at the tip of a sword if needed. Ken would pay for this.. He would pay for the pain he caused tai, for them all. He would pay for the lives he took.. He would pay.. And pay dearly. She began to run down the tunnel, her destiny looming behind the next turn of the path....

  
  


That day would be a day remembered in history as the day the final assault on the empire began. It would be a day recalled as a preclude to one of the most bloody battles in the history of man. It would be remembered as the day before the Ascension. It would be remembered for many great historical reasons.. 

  
  


But only by a few souls would it be remembered as the day Collin Yagami Loire, hero, returned to Shannon.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**__****_In every war that ever has been waged there has been pain and sorrow._**

**_As the fires of war burn through lives as brush is consumed withing wispy tendrils of flame_**

**_we suffer._**

**_As we watch lives end with such cold and heartless speed can we remain unmoved?_**

**_ Can those who live through the night ever truly forget the horror contained within the darkest hours?_**

  
  


**_Experience is how we grow and evolve as people_**

**_but not all experiences are good_**

  
  


**_after bearing witness to the darkest acts of the creature human_**

**_the faces of loved ones lost..._**

**_The horrors of war..._**

  
  


**_how much would you pay to forget?_**__

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Not the end.....**

   [1]: mailto:logan91235@aol.com



	8. Genesis 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Tai, Sora, Kenny, gel demon (heh heh) or any of the other digimon characters. I do own this long-ass fic though. Dear god this one is long..... I probably should have made it a chapter for each of the final fights with the lords, but I didn't wana make the next four chapters redundant. Ok... damn... for those of you who tell me they print out my stories... I would like to offer my condolences for your printers. Because odds are this chapter will kill your printer.

Well.. This chapter is mainly about the final battles against the four lords... and just to warn you.. This is where that R rating is proven. Dayus' fight gets a little icky -_-'

  
  


and to those of you who e-mailed me about making matt good..... sorry to disappoint you.

But frankly I hope you admire my restraint here... and trust me.. I was holding back a LOT.

Heh heh heh ^-^

  
  


let me know what you think at [logan91235@aol.com][1]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**__****_Genesis_**

  
  


**__****_8_**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


By Logan

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


******"The Unleashing"**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Grendle leapt from turret to turret of the nearby buildings. The air was hot with flame and billowing smoke. The missiles had started a considerable blaze which now raged against the stone moorings of the buildings as a great sea of red. It was a sea of fire, and from the banks of the stone building the waves crashed outward in a spray of burning embers which danced as fireflies in the choking winds of bitter smoke. Grendle was a capable warrior.. Yet the hot winds were rendering his wings useless. It was a difficult task to manage to glide from spire to spire alone.. But with the current hot updrafts it would be far more menacing. Thus he simply relied upon his muscle to carry him from building to building with a series of graceful leaps.

  
  


His mind was enraged as he contemplated the image of Taichi as he pulled ken down to the ground. Grendle was not at fault for this, but he did bear the responsibility of the emperor's life. He was circling the blaze in a desperate attempt to find his lord. The wall of flame danced high into the heavens as energy rippled outward in violent and strangely compelling mannerisms. The fire was like a brilliant dance of destruction and devastation. He knew this was a day unlike all others... this day was a day that his dragon mind could recognize. The air would soon be filled with the coppery aroma of thick, stagnant blood. He could feel the pressure around him as the primitive side of his intellect called to him. The world looked beautiful to him from the luminescence of his glowing amber eyes. All was dry.. So very dry. Like brush which had been sun baked to a golden hue.. Like dry wheat. Begging for the fires. That was the desire of the flame.. The same as dragon, Grendle longed to embrace the fire.. He would not burn within the ruby inferno.. But he would loose control. He was a dragon after all.. A creature born of fire... he hungered for the great heat as all his kind hungered for their element.

  
  


The saurian race was based off the DNA of the dragons... 

various kinds of dragon at that... 

  
  


Some were of water.. A cool blue hue marked their scales.. These creatures would be more likely to digress if they came in contact with the ocean.. They would leap into the endless blue with utter contempt for the dry land. Their kind would surface, yet never venture far from the womb of water in which their reptilian side was conceived.

  
  


Others - the sky... these creatures were built for flight.. Small bodies, light bones. They usually wore longer horns. But their defining characteristics where the huge and leathery wings. Grendle possessed wings.. But his were for gliding, not flight. His body was built too tight and bulky. Also he lacked the conditioning to fuel the fires within. To fly was to use great reserves of energy. The flyers were often ravenous... constantly swooping down and ripping flesh in great shredding bites with their sickle fangs. They were a world of their own.. A word that could not be appreciated by the land dwellers... this was the home of the winged.. The endless void of the sky...

  
  


The earth bound Grendles were far and away the most bulky of all the breeds. They were armored to the point that a sword would splinter against their underside. Their flesh varied greatly with greens and browns. They possessed no wings.. Just massive claws. The claws could split stone like sand.. And what those razors could do to man was quite evident.

  
  


The final of the four was that of fire.. Grendle's breed. They were the most powerful of all in the battlefields. They hungered for the sweet kiss of the fire against their bluish black flesh. They were the embodiment of all which was feared of Grendle. He had never allowed himself to touch the flame... for the second his body received the blessed heat he would be gone. At least he thought he would... he wouldn't stop. He would leap into the pyre with a simple joy... he would cast off all the shreds of humanity in favor of the flame. He could accept his heritage as a fire breed. His kind could reduce cities to ash... perfect charcoal ash.... he could breath in the fires and ignite the wick within his body. Ignite the pilot light and allow the torches to truly burn. He found himself veering towards the fire... longing for it... needing it. 

  
  


"NO!" he snarled in a voice that was now far from human. It hissed outward in a great sneaky rasp. He cleared his mind. Pushed back the need. He had to find the emperor... but within his mind he still danced to the song of the fire. A world waiting for the torch... a world ready for the burning.

He feared abandonment of his humanity. Feared it for if he did lose that side to himself he would dishonor himself further by becoming a beast. He still could appreciate it though.. The simple nature of it all. To each of the four breeds their element was a sacred thing. Almost religious to each. And though Grendle was not truly converted to the religion of the flame.. He did feel the sacredness of the fire.

  
  


"Greetings demon..." the spectral voice whispered out in a tone of perfect dark.

  
  


"Hello Cody." he replied as he turned.

  
  


"It is time for you to receive justice. Your time has come for purification, for honor." he replied as he drew out the long black sword. His eyes were stone as he looked upon the dragon. He smiled lightly as he recognized the eyes.. They were the eyes of his grandfather. Not as they had been, but as he stared into the amber eyes he did see the grandfather he loved. He drew up his weapon to a ready stance. Firm posture, sword at shoulder height.

  
  


"You fight sssso hard to regain my honor grandssssson. Is it truly for the name of our family, or issss it ssssstill the boy I knew sssso long ago? The boy who isss perhapssss fighting to regain the love of a grandfather by giving him back honor.. Even if it means hissss own death? I believe that issss what it is you crave, the life before... Before I dawned the guisssse of the dragon, and before you took the cloak of the ninja." he rasped out in a tone that was as close to affection as his thick serpentine lips could produce.

  
  


"I act of selflessness... you are a dishonor... you dishonor the memory of my grandfather with each breath you draw in. I crave only the restoration of honor to our family.. This can be done only by the sword now. Prepare yourself!" he snarled, yet his eyes shown with a subtle sorrow as to the man behind the dragon.

  
  


"Very well... in the wayssss of the old, a duel. Whoever winsss issss correct... "

  
  
  
  


The two stared at each other with a bitter silence between them. Despite Grendle's form.. He was a capable strategist, a calculating warrior who knew his foe. Cody stood upon the Stoney surface with a rigid posture. His eyes never once left the mighty dragon that he would now slay. It was beyond family. It was simply two warriors of the old code who were now dueling. Grendle's claws seemed to flex outward to a more razored edge. He crouched low upon the corner of the rooftop. The embers swirled around them as burning snow would dance upon. The features of two winter travelers. Then with a sudden flash of speed they launched outward at one another.

  
  


Cody's blade shrieked as it raked against Grendle's hard scaley skin. But before he could regain composure from the attack Grendle spun around on the Stoney terrace with the reflex and balance of a cat. The mighty dragon charged him in a fierce rush -his jaws hanging open revealing rows of daggers. Cody had managed to regain balance just in time to feel the bone crushing collision of the dragon man's reinforced skull as it crushed into his ribs. Cody was able to leap away before the teeth closed over him. That was close, for the moment he was able to evade the attack he heard the slam of teeth on teeth as the alligator-like jaws slapped shut over air. The force of the collision threw him back several feet. He was off balance, and thus proceeded to fall back. It was by sheer skill that he was able to turn the impact's force into a roll. He slid across the Stoney path until he landed in a bent knee posture.

  
  


Grendle was already on the offensive as he leapt into the air. He seemed to hang there for a time before he came plummeting to the ground in a great meteorite from the blackened skies. Cody managed to leap back just in time to avoid the crushing claw which splintered the Stoney ground where he had once been. Grendle seemed stunned as the stone splintered upward to him like a hail of reversely flying stone raindrops. Cody managed to rebound from the ground several feet away driving himself forward -blade out-. Grendle snarled in rage as the weapon plunged into his thigh with a sickening 'plunk' sound. Cody knew enough to pull his blade out fast and try an evade, for Grendle was beyond all else strong.. He could take a considerable amount of abuse before he would fall. Thus if Cody tried to press the weapon further into his flesh it would only make him a simple kill for those menacing hooked talons.

  
  


He was right. The claws came at him, yet only gouged a gash in his forearm as he leapt back. The wound was light.. Little more then a deep scratch. Grendle however seemed to be far more injured by the gouge to his hind leg. He snarled venomously as he stared at the black clothed morsel who was holding his bleeding arm up in a ready posture. 

  
  


He was hurting.. More then he had ever hurt in any battle. It was in part due to his arm, which now bled freely upon his black sleeve, but more so he was hurting from the inside. This beast was his grandfather. He was the only man Cody had ever loved since his father died. Now he was trying to kill him. Grendle charged again.

  
  


His claws seemed to change as the battle progressed. Perhaps the data on the Grendle was lacking, for nothing they had ever seen was comparable to this, nothing about his body being able to change in response to combat. His talons lengthened even more to the point of a dagger. He ran at Cody with a howl of wrath as he slashed wildly. With each swipe Cody was able to hop back, yet the slashes also gashed through the Stoney floor in great swipes. The stone split with each slash. Cody was truly afraid as he defended against the dragon's rage. He was moving too fast. Cutting biting, slashing, swiping. All the while moving forward while Cody continued to be pushed back. He was getting a full glimpse into the nature of the dragon as with one mighty downward thrust the stone path splintered to fragments of gravel. All it would take is one hit to connect and he would be ripped in half. He began to stumble as the barrage continued onward. Grendle's eyes lit up with a demonic joy that he would soon take down the prey. The fight had pushed the pain away.. Now all that was the lust of the dragon. A world ripe for the burning...

  
  


Cody lost his footing and in a moment of true terror he began to fall. He would not be able to get back up. The second he fell the dragon would be on him. He would leap forth as a demon and in that moment his jaws would find the boy's throat.. And then the fight would end. Cody gave one final wide slash as he went down. Much to his amazement he connected. The Grendle screamed in a voice that was of both a deep reptilian hiss, a roar, and the cry of a stricken man. All these voiced blended in to one deep scream as he leapt back. Cody didn't let the opportunity fail as he quickly scrambled to his feet in a frantic rush.

  
  


Grendle screamed in rage as he clutched the right side of his face which was now bleeding profusely. The cry was an eerie one to Cody, for within he could hear his grandfather, but also the demon. They were locked together within the dragon's frame as he snarled out a enraged hiss. Good and evil bound as one. You cannot strike one without the other. He drew his claw away and studied the blood that now painted his hand. He hadn't lost the eye, just scared the cheek and brow. The cut was deep, it had most likely nicked the bone.

  
  


"Well done Cody... you are quite impresssssive, but it ends now..." he hissed as his elongated claws melded back to the talons he was seen more commonly with..He reached to his side and withdrew the object tucked within the folds of his great leather wings. Cody had never seen the strap. It was most likely custom made for Grendle's unique body type. He withdrew the long and powerful blade of their family.

  
  


"You know thissss blade?"

  
  


"I do..."

  
  


"Then you know that if you win... you musssst claim it assss your own."

  
  


"As you ask grandfather." he replied softly as he took a ready position.

  
  


Grendle opened his wings wide as he lifted the massive blade to a ready position which mirrored Cody's stance. The huge creature seemed noble as he raised the delicate and yet devastating weapon to a posture no different from that of a samurai of the past.

  
  


Cody took several steps back, widening the gap between them. Then drew up his sword again. His eyes were burning as he stared into the hot coals of Grendle's gaze. The burning embers danced around them merrily, like the fires of hell would delight in the act of war between blood relatives. The walls of this arena were of burning flame, the spectators? Mearly devils of fire.

  
  
  
  


They leapt for each other. Grendle's wings were so wide they blocked out the sky itself as he descended upon Cody. His jaws were clenched shut in a feral snarl as the silvery blade began its downward motion, which would certainly be a killing blow. He never looked more menacing then this moment as he propelled forward in a lustful rage for blood. It was then that he cried out in a reptilian howl. "FOR HONOR!!!"

  
  


Cody had never leapt like this, it was as though he were flying. Though his mind did not begin to enjoy the sensation of artificial flight. It remained upon the blade in his hand. It was as though the steel were now a part of him. That the two were intrinsically bound to one another as light is to dark. He had to focus on the blade... hone its' edge to the precise ark.. Had to become one with the attack.. The weapon grew hot in his hands as he recalled the love of his grand father, the lessons he had learned from him.. The honor he had learned from him. He breathed out a deep jumble of words he had learned from his grandfather. "A samurai is splintered when he has something he loves more then his honor.." he reverberated the words through his heart for they were the words of his grandpa. He would not falter now.. He would live by the same code which his grandfather now lived by.

  
  
  
  


They met.

  
  
  
  


The feel of blood against skin was felt by both as they landed several feet away from eachother, both frozen in waiting for the searing pain that preludes death. Cody glanced down to his blade. It was painted in red, yet he was unsure if the blood was Grendle's of perhaps it was splattered when he was cut. As he studied the weapon his eyes widened. The neo-titanium splintered as a series of gaping cracks reverberated through the blade.. Then it shattered.

  
  


"It would sssseem I wassss victorioussss....." Grendle spoke in a somber voice as Cody turned to face him. 

  
  


The mighty dragon was slumped on all fours as he stared up to his grandson with a almost loving smile on his lips. He was bleeding deeply from his chest.

  
  


"I am victoriousss, not asss a warrior. But assss a grandfather. I raissssed a boy that underssstandssss the waysss of the old. A boy who issss both kind and hard. One with love in hisss heart, and love enough to defend what isss right. I will die with pride." he relinquished the blade of his ancestors to Cody's feet.

  
  


"I accept your blade grandfather but I will not kill you. That wound is not fatal."

  
  


"You have besssted me. It isss time to bring honor back to me. Through my death." he rasped.

  
  


"What honor can be gained by killing the last family I have? I have come to realize this will not restore your honor. You have committed crimes against mankind, and thus you are dishonored. But death shall not make right what is wrong. Only you can do that." he pressed the blade's tip to Grendle's heart. Then pulled it back.

  
  


"There... the killer of my mother is now dead. The evil Grendle is now dead. 

  
  


Please.. Join us.. Help us put right the wrongs you have helped to create." Cody sheathed the blade and took the dragon's hand. His grip was returned with a loving squeeze from the reptilian hand.

  
  


"Alasss.. I cannot.. Live well grandssson. Know that I am ssssplintered, for I do have ssssomething I love more then my honor. I love you Cody." he rasped out as he pushed away from Cody. The boy;'s eyes widened as he fell from the high wall in which they were battling.

  
  
  
  


Grendle fell with open arms. He did not attempt to fly, merely left his wings open to feel the heat as it drew ever closer. His amber eyes continued to stare at Cody as he grew farther and farther away. The boy had tears in his eyes as he watched the dragon fall. How he longed for tears. To cry for his loss. He would pay anything for one solitary tear which he could shed for all the wrongs he had done, all the faces he had missed, all the times he could have embraced his grandson. But sadly.. That he could never do.

  
  


Grendle fell swiftly into the sea of flames that were now burning brilliantly below him. The draft had combined with ample fuel for the fire creating a sea of fire. Grendle would regain his honor by killing himself. By giving in to the blessed heat. By becoming it... he fell for what seemed like forever until he hit the waters of flame. With a foamy eruption of burning embers he was consumed in it. He was possessed by the perfect heat and radiance of the flame. He had vanished into the sea and been swallowed by it. Devoured in the loving kisses of fire to his skin.

  
  
  
  


Cody paused for a moment as he watched the shadow of his grandfather vanish within the inferno.

He was preparing to leave when he heard it. A call he could feel within the hollows of his chest and the recesses of his mind. A strange call of saurian origin. A howl of blessed release....

It sung out into the heavens in a deep and mournful scream.. The scream of freedom from all that binds... a scream savage delight. The scream of a dragon.

  
  


****************************

  
  
  
  


Kari walked slowly across the vacant rooftop. It was hard for her. She listened to the world with ears which heard beyond the gusting wind or the distant blaze. Ears that could hear into the cries of pain as guards were chopped away and dawn soldiers fell to the ground as lifeless husks of men. She was saddened by the death that laid heavily upon the wind like an odor of decay. She was up-wind of the inferno.. There was only a faint golden glow on the horizon that indicated the fire was thriving on the wood and debris which it required as sustenance. Her cloak billowed in the cold winds as she looked outward to the faint iridescent orange glow that bathed the billowy black clouds in pigment. 

  
  


God it was cold. She shivered as she drew the white cloak up more to shield herself from the biting icy winds. The cloak did nothing. The cold seemed to radiate from the aura of this place. She visibly shook her head to push off the feel of death which hung heavily in the air. The sensations os psychic awareness came to her as great billowy fog. There were times when she would perceive something through the wispy kisses of thin fog. But there were other times where it was more oblivious to her.

  
  


Her hair danced in the winds with slow and dramatic motions as she felt the waves of evil pulse outward from this place as life-blood is pumped outward through the beatings of a great black heart. The organ of evil was beating faster-as though it's dark pulse was now racing with adrenalin. Each wave crashed over her-flooding her mind with a thousand horrible images of pain and death. She could now here the screams of the tortured as a faint chorus against the wind.

She shivered more severely as she pulled up the white fabric tighter.

  
  
  
  
  
  


"You hear it don't you?" she turned to see Dayus who was leaning back against the Stoney edge of the roof. He was dressed in black leather pants, yet left his shirt off to reveal the road map of scars and slashes upon his pale flesh. His hair was longer then Kari's while her's ended in a neatly trimmed edge at the base of her back, his trailed beyond his waist in long and thin wispy tendrils which flew around him as a demonic cape in the wind. 

  
  


He smiled to her in a cute manner as he looked at her through his bandaged sockets where once eyes had sat. he would almost have been attractive in a stretched manner. With eyes of course. But his face was not entirely hideous. Thin chin ending in a cleft, high cheekbones which didn't advertise the common stiffness about him that those features often implied, a small and shapely nose, and a thin slit of a grin. But there was nothing charming or handsome about him. His actions and contortions of the face were enough to make him run hand in hand with the most mangled gargoyle on the most twisted spire of some cathedral of old.

  
  


His words came out as a deep hiss mixed with a perpetually sinister laugh. All in all... he gave Kari the creeps.

  
  


"You hear their song don't you sorceress....?" he smirked as he flexed his hooked razors which served as hands. The metallic hands 'clicked' and chirped with each movement as metal slid over metal. He slid his sickle fingertips over themselves in a metallic laugh.

  
  


"Hear what?"

  
  


"The song they sing for us.... listen to the screams of the dead.... they are bubbling up from hell just for us. .. It has such a nice beat too." he began to sway softly as he danced to the demonic music.

  
  
  
  
  
  


He sang in a low and very un-musical voice:

"_Once we were and now we're not. Once we lived and now we rot. _

_Gone are days of joy and mirth. Now we fester within the earth._

_We know no heaven, only hell. Our pleas to heaven we must yell._

_But to us no pearly gates, thus the fire compensates._

_For each of our sky-bound cries... a new torture the devil tries._

_Each time we yearn, our skin shall burn..._

_Once we were and now we're not. Once we lived and now we rot.._." he trailed off.

  
  


"Come now sorceress... I know you hear their music."

  
  
  
  


"What are you?" she spoke aghast.

  
  


"Family...." he laughed slowly as he drew his razor fingers to his own face. He blew her a kiss before gouging the claws into his own scalp. Kari's eyes widened as the tributaries of blood began to trickle down his face. With a ripping sound, he drew his claws down over his face-cutting a series of gashes. The blood trickled down his face as he grinned happily at the pain.

  
  


Kari was going to puke....

  
  


Then as the razors trailed down his face they severed the bandage for his gaping sockets, which fell away as soon as it was cut. Kari gaped in horror as she looked into the vacant expanses of his skull. He had no eyes... but there was no flesh either. In its' place there was a golden glow which churned like molten fire in each of his empty cavities. The light glowed maliciously from his gaping skull eyes. And as the bandage fell away the light began to wisp outward as smoke into the air. his eyes were of molten fire.. Evil fire.. Hellfire...

  
  


Kari stepped back slowly -her eyes wide with fear as she stared into his vacant, and yet demonically radiant eyes.

  
  


"You're.. A descendant of the sorceress lineage?" she gaped

  
  


"What's the matter sis.. Not ready to give up being an only child?" he smirked

  
  


"YOU ARE NOT MY BROTHER"

  
  
  
  


"Come on kar.. I need you to be a big girl for me while I'm away killing myself..." he spoke in tai's voice

  
  


Kari's eyes filled with tears as his power began pushing into her mind.

  
  
  
  


"I HATED YOU KARI! 

That's why I killed myself.. Because I was tired of looking after such a pathetic little girl. I wished you had died that one time when you were sick! You have never been anything to me other then a burden.. A spoiled little burden who made my life so miserable I chose to end it."

  
  


Dayus advanced as Kari began drawing farther back. She didn't look at him, for if she did she knew it would be tai she was staring at. He was pushing deeper and deeper into her mind with each word spoken as her brother. He smiled.

  
  


"Kari sweetie... I have something to tell you.

  
  


I am leaving you...." tk spoke.

  
  


"I'm tired of taking your crap.. Oh save the digimon.. Save the world.. Save this.. Save that.. Then when I need something from you, you refuse me. I wanted to just go off and live a happy life.. But nooooo..... you had to try to follow in your brother's footsteps. Well go ahead and do that.. Follow those foot steps of his right to suicide!" he snapped as Kari began hugging herself and rocking slowly.

  
  


"I have found a real woman now... not some weird little freak with white hair." He smirked as some blond girl who was as Kari perceived her 'the image of beauty.' The girl was thin and beautiful with eyes just like tk's. She had red lips and no lingering trace of imperfection. Every insecurity Kari possessed seemed to be completely erased from this young girl.. And magnified on Kari.

  
  


"But... you said you liked my hair like this... and... I know I'm not very pretty but I do love you. Please tk..." she replied pathetically to the spectral Takeru which Dayus was now projecting into her mind. Tears were beginning to fill her eyes as she watched tk vanish into blackness. Though the look of contempt on his face seemed to linger with her.

  
  


"That's funny.. I don't give a shit about you..." his voice reverberated through the darkened air as it too vanished into the blackness.

  
  


"This isn't real.... this isn't real.. It's sorcery.... not real...." she repeated slowly as she rallied her strength. She looked on the verge of collapse, yet through sheer willpower she did not fall. Instead she focused on the real TK... the real Tai.. She loved them both, and knew that they loved her back. Thus she was able to focus. And her eyes went straight to Dayus who was laughing happily at her tears.

  
  
  
  


Dayus was still chuckling as Kari's eyes began to grow brighter. It was a small transformation, but a steady clime from soft hazel to snowy daggers of sheer rage. With wispy tendrils the radiance of her eyes began to gleam outward in icy rage. Her mind stretched outward as a great invisible arm, taking hold of a small pile of stone fragments which were created in the assault. She gripped them together in her mind as a fist might scoop up a handful of pebbles.

  
  


Dayus suddenly became aware of her freedom from his power, though it was too late. As he turned to face her she propelled the shrapnel of stone outward in a great barrage of artificial shotgun pellets. Dayus shrieked as he was thrown backwards by the blast, but due to his power, the attack was nowhere near a mortal blow. He tumbled on the ground for a moment before regaining composure. As he rose up to face her again the look of dark mirth had subsided for a look of rage.

  
  


He began chanting some strange collection of words beneath his breath. Kari couldn't hear them all.. And what she heard was a language in its own.

  
  


The earth suddenly screamed beneath Hikari's feet as the stone split open in a mouth and snapped at her as a dragon of stone. She leapt back, and thus avoided the jaws, though the sheer force of her landing on hard ground jarred her. She was capable of many acrobatics, but her body was not conditioned to it as tk's was.

  
  


She made a sharp gesture with her hand and the flame from one of the torches suddenly streaked outward as it leapt upon Dayus. The fire was more like a small - yet fearless animal- it clawed and bitt at his face and skin as a enraged feline would.

  
  


He was hurt, yet with a small gesture of his own the flame perished quickly.

  
  
  
  


The two stared at each other with utter disdain in their eyes, or in Dayus's case.. Where eyes would be. His claws were visibly twitching with hate. "You like fire? Fine..." with a slow and drawn out motion he drew his razor claws up to the heavens in an act that could almost be perceived as preying.. If not for the fact that it was Dayus making this motion. Th gesture seemed blasphemous coming from those taloned hands. His prayers rasped out of his lips like demons erupting from hell in this strange and godless chant.

  
  


Kari suddenly became aware that it was getting hot. Too hot.. She glanced to the stone floor in which she was standing, only to find the stone was now sizzling and hissing as a nest of vipers. Dayus drew his clawed hands out to face her. The palms of his fleshless hands were radiating a demonic white. This was not the white of snow... that was a gentle white. This was a white of pure blinding evil. The same white steel takes on as it is heated to the edge of melting.

  
  


He spat out the final incantation with demonic glee. The second the words left his lips his grip exploded with flame. It came at her from all angles as a great tunnel of fire. It was moving too fast to evade. Thus she would have to endure it. She did not scream. For the sorceresses of history were not afraid of their destiny. She had never tested her powers like this. Against a foe who was not mearly sparring with her. This was a truly capable enemy... and an enemy who wanted her dead.

  
  


She was vaguely aware of the faint call of Garurumon howling out in battle. The burning dawn had elevated the plan to part B. Their entire digimon army was now attacking the empire's forces before they could counter the main attack.. Angewomon, magna angemon, war greymon.. His mate phoenixmon.. All would be at this battle fighting. The digimon were capable enough to fight without their humans. Thus this attack was crucial. If they could engage the imperial forces. Those soldiers would be unable to take back the slave camps, or rescue the emperor and his lords. The assault team was already eliminating the few soldiers in the area.. And her friends were dealing with the lords. As the fire swallowed her up like a great serpent she preyed she would be able to survive. For TK... to see Tai again... to embrace her sister, Sora once more....

  
  


It was like the eye of a hurricane. All was swirling fire and heat. Kari needed to scream in pain from the smell of her own skin burning. But if she did Dayus would know he had won. This was not just a fight between two humans. This was a battle within the sorceress lineage. If he won... god, she couldn't think about that. Dayus was perverse enough to use his power for the evils of mankind. And he would relish tormenting all humanity for the rest of his life.. 

  
  


The walls of the inferno rippled inward. Kari closed her eyes.

  
  


They toppled over her as a wave of fire would crash upon the banks of the ocean had it been born of water and not brimstone. She felt the fire licking at her flesh.. Trying to tear her apart. And them a stillness came over her. She was unsure if it was the onset of death.. Or the onset of something else.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Dayus watched with glee as the inferno swirled around her charred corpse. It looked so beautiful that he was tempted to embrace the burnt remains of the sorceress. He could not see her clearly enough. The fire left only a still -unmoving- shadow within the fire. And then that too faded away. He wished he could see her expression as the fires bit her face off to nothing more then charred bone. Oh how beautiful it would be to watch... to smell her flesh as it sizzles away to nothing. He had heard before that the smell of burning human skin is the worst smell on earth. Quite the contrary.. It was the most lovely perfume he had ever smelled. He both longed for and cursed the fire. It had left nothing more then ash of her.. He wanted a body... a perfect corpse to either assimilate into his art.. Or do other things too. 

  
  


"Alas... it was simply not meant to be." he said softly as he debated where he could find other victims. He turned to walk away with a demonic chuckle still reverberating through his frame. He had killed her.. Killed a sorceress. She was unworthy of the name.. Of the lineage. She had fallen too easily... it was as though she had no grasp upon the power which flowed through her. Much less the true nature of the lineage. It was not to save or protect. It was to kill! To bring hell to the humans! And she simply couldn't grasp that. It was a pity...

  
  


He lurched forward as his chest exploded outward with a splash of blood. The scarlet puddle of blood pooled at his feat in a grizzly tone. There was pain.. It riddled through his chest in contractions of agony as he staggered forward, almost tripping in a pool of his own blood. The blood ran down his chest in a series of intercrossing streams of red water. As he looked to the source of the pain his eyes widened. Just above his heart there was a lance of ice protruding through him. The smooth blue hue of the sickle was tainted with his blood, leaving it a grizzly red. It had torn through a bone, and muscle. But thankfully missed his lung and his heart. He turned to face the origin of the blast only to find his pillar of fire split at the top. Kari stood defiantly upon that pillar with a look of contempt upon her twilight eyes. She was not burned. Not singed. Her hair hung freely and danced in the winds with utter disregard for the demonic sorcerer. The white cloak too flew along with the hair as great white angelic wings. For an instant Dayus feared he had sent her to heaven, only to return with a flock of arch-angels. But thankfully God was not involved here.. It was just a cloak... but her resurrection from the flames did leave him somewhat afraid.

  
  


"You're dead...."

  
  


"I'm a sorceress."

  
  


"But how, we can't transcend life and death... can we?"

  
  


"Fool... death is a doorway in life. There is no end... I'm not ready to go through the door yet. So I closed it... but you Dayus. You are ready to cross that threshold." her eyes glowed white.

  
  


"The sorceress lineage was once a thing of good and righteousness. It was born of peace not hate. When our ancestors fell in love and abandoned hatred we were born. Children who bear a gift. A power. That power was made from love, not hate. You disgrace the name of the sorceress. And thus... you shall pay..." the skies began to swirl with clouds of thick silverish light. They were quick as they choked out the sky in a great spiral of thick greyish silver. Kari's hands began to glow lightly as the fire bowed to her- gently depositing her on the Stoney ground.

  
  


Dayus grinned softly as he wrenched the icy dagger from his side. The pain was great, but to Dayus the pain was pleasure. It invigorated him to feel his own blood trickle down his side. His claws scraped against themselves with anticipation as she dismounted her fiery podium.

  
  


"In the ages of darkness our kind warred with each other for supremacy as a decedent of the sorceress lineage. Perhaps it's time for you and I to breath new life into the ways of the old.

Come Kari... let us play." Dayus spoke in his normal dark and demonic tone.

  
  


"Lets..." she replied. Her eyes burning with fire as she spoke.

  
  
  
  


Dayus leapt forward at her, his claws slashing at her as she used her arms to re-direct the force of his attacks. It was far from easy, blocking while avoiding the claws. Dayus was grinning darkly at each move she made. Sh side-stepped a vicious thrust as she launched her fist upon him. She was stronger then she appeared, but pain only affects those who it bothers. She was simply adding fuel to the fire of psychosis that was raging within his darkened soul. She leapt back slightly and summoned the power.

  
  


From her vacant grip a sword manifested. It's blade was irregularly shaped and it possessed a pommel of twisted silver rings. The weapon was neither spiritual nor physical. It was energy focused to a shape. Kari had no solid grasp on how she was able to do it. But a delay would give Dayus time to plunge those claws into her. She could afford no time for explanations... thus she attacked. The weapon was as light as air, yet it did have substance enough to register that she was holding it as it crashed against Dayus' talons. She was not great with a sword, but she did have the basic knowledge of how to use one.

  
  


But in war basic knowledge rarely ever is enough to be good enough.

  
  


Dayus was grinning happily as he proceeded with a newfound speed and diligence in his frenzied attacks. Kari was thrown backwards as he suddenly drove his booted foot into her mid-section. She stumbled backwards as she frantically tried to get her breath. Dayus lunged.

  
  


With three fast swipes he cut three perfect gashes upon her. One on her hand -causing her to loose grip of the weapon. The sword fell to the ground, and as it made contact vanished with a series of sparks. The second cut caught her on the cheek. It was the smallest of all the wounds, yet it's sudden jab of pain caused her to automatically draw her hands to her face. The final slash raked across her abdomen leaving four long wounds that trailed horizontally across her creme skin. She bled. In the suddenness of the three strikes she fell backwards. On the flat of her back she suddenly realized how close she was to dead. This was the moment he would kill her.

Her eyes found him in mid-leap. It was by sheer reflex that she drew her legs up far enough to push him off as he landed. It took all her strength, but she was able to propel him off her. He tumbled backwards in shock. Yet that didn't last long. Within a moments time he was on his feet ready to charge again.

  
  


Kari had been able to get to a crouched position just as he came at her again. This time his claws were wide open, ready to shred her to ribbons. Yet with a sudden burst of strength -with which she had no clue where it came from- was bale to lunge at him.

  
  


They met suddenly. Kari's hands grabbed Dayus' by the palm, thus rendering him incapable of slashing her head off. They were locked together in a biter grapple. Dayus was trying to free his hands, while Kari was doing all she could to prevent him from doing so. His claws suddenly plunged into her hands with an agonizingly sharp set of tips. Her hands bled freely as he drove his hooked talons deeper into the soft fleshy hands. She refused to relinquish her grip despite the agony with which she now was reveling. Her eyes met Dayus' glowing orbs of light in a hateful scowl. He smiled at her lovingly as he blew her a kiss.

  
  


Kari was losing blood fast. She was aware that soon she would be too weak to keep up the grip. And the second his hand slipped free, he would chop her in half.

  
  


Her eyes slipped shut as she contemplated her death. She would miss so much. The chance to see the world regain its freedom. To be held by tk as he allowed himself to visit his mother for the first time since his father had been crucified. He had hated her after that. She had given in and began writing for the empire. Nothing against their cruelty. Just the doctored truth.... tk could understand why... his father was killed for reporting against the empire. He had refused to retract the statement of ken as a maniacal tyrant who should be united against. 

  
  


Kari knew tk wanted to forgive her. But he could never bring himself to that until the war was over. She doubted he could look at her now that she was still one of them.

  
  


Taichi... he was back. He was alive again. And that meant there was a chance she could begin piecing back her life. Her parents were dead. That life was over. But still there were a few loose piecing she could unite to something more. Tai and Sora. They had been made for one another. This was obvious to all. They would try to make a new life after the war. Maybe even marry and have children. Kari could be aunt. A mother. Tk wanted children once. He stopped voicing that desire during the war, but she was sure he would be able to reclaim those hopes. Fatherhood. They could make a new world... one without ken.. Without hate...

  
  


But that would not happen if she died today. She would not get to be a mother or an aunt. She would be a ghost. She would not let this come to pass... she would not let it all end like this. She could not! 

  
  


Her eyes opened pure white.

  
  


With a sudden burst of strength she tightened her grip on Dayus' hands. His eyes widened into her pure white ones. He tried to free himself for a whole new reason now. Not to kill her, but to get away from her. Something was wrong. She was getting more powerful with each second. The clouds of translucent white gaped outward as a cloud of swirling silver. Molten steel which danced as white fire within the two mystical orbs of her eyes. Her lips were devoid of all emotion, leaving her before him as a god of kinds. She was radiant with the aura of white which cloaked around her with white wings of swirling energies - which danced as snow-flakes against her tan complection. The hair now was whipping more violent still as her grip became a vice upon his demonic hands. The blood he was drawing was bubbling and sizzling against her flesh as she stared at him with the same soulless expression on her radiant eyes.

  
  


It had been so long since he feared, yet now the familiar waves of convulsion within his stomach had returned. He did not fear death in some respects, for what more could he ask.. Hell.. Fire.. Brimstone.. Home. That was his paradise. But this girl was something more to him. The eyes of molten silver seemed to radiate unto him a divine knowledge that there was a god. That this being of power far beyond the lineage, was all to real. So real in fact he had sent an emissary from the kingdom of heaven to claim vengeance for the evils he had done. Purification... that was truly the one thing this demon man feared. The knowledge that all he had done. His shrine to darkness.. His throne of death... all could be wiped away with some divine motion. All the perfect evil he had bred forth could be expunged with one motion of a hand. And Hikari was the hand.

  
  


Steel screamed as it twisted in contorement as the grip became harder. The soft and low whine of his metalic digits made his ears shriek in agony. She looked into him. Then she smiled.

With a sudden wrenching cry from her thin- pink- lips she pulled him in two. He screamed a high pitched girlish shriek that was not just his voice, but also the cry of his arms as steel tendons snapped like piano wire. Cables snapped and pulled out with a mixture of sparks from some, and gushing fluids from others. The steel armor twisted wildly as the last cables gave way with a demonic rain of red sparks. Kari held the arms in her hands as Dayus fell away. His vacant slots on his torso were black with severed wire and steel mountings. The cables which carried electrical impulse from the brain to the appendages were flailing wildly. There were wires and chips - all blackened from either construction, or the searing heat of the arms as they were pulled from him. She tossed them aside with a seeming glee about her. As they fell onto the floor they began to convulse frantically as the tail of a lizard would upon being severed from the mother-mass. The taloned digits scraped long scars in the ground as they seemingly tried to claw their way back to him. This was futile however as without a power source such as his body's natural furnace, each convulsion would push them closer to exhaustion of their remaining power. He staggered away in three wide and irregular steps.

  
  


"Do you repent for what you have done? This will be your last chance before I end your evil." she spoke in a tone akin to that of a goddess. Power beyond comprehension.

  
  


"N.. Never! I would never repent! I have taken thousands of souls.. Do as you wish with me bitch. Whatever you do won't give them peace! " he spat out as a small tributary of black, tarish blood ran from his temple to shoulder.

  
  


"Oh yes... I can make you feel them Dayus. I feel the pain of this world. The pain is always there.. Each soul crying out as it is murdered. You have done so much evil that I condemn you to the worst fate I could wish you. Atonement.

  
  


I will give you back ever once of misery you have given out through your wretched little life. Every cry and wail will hit you at once. Every tear shall swell to an ocean, then crash into you. All the evil you have done shall be returned.. All of it. And.. All at once."

  
  


He tried to flee, yet was caught withing her grip. She snarled hatefully as she pressed her tender lips to his own. She wanted to gag. Thankfully it was not open mouth, but a kiss was the only way she knew to share this with him. Tk.. She had learned this magic with him.. It was something they shared, the ability to give the joy and happiness to each other. Pool the good memories of both of their lives together, as each memory of love and joy merged to the pool as mercury re-assimilates back into the mother-mass of silverish liquid. Before she had given only happiness to TK. As he had for her. Through the kiss they were able to become more intimate with one another then ever before. It was as though they linked together not just in the chains of love, but at the core of their twin souls. 

  
  


But now that was different. Through this kiss of hate she forced every pain and sorrow that hung upon Dayus' soul into him. The surge of grief, agony, hate, loss, and pain was a great wall of emotion all which hit Dayus at once. He was both crushed, burned, skinned, melted, etc all at once. Every evil act in his life merged together upon him in one great primal blast of emotion. Kari pushed him away from herself as she spat away the memory of kissing him.

  
  


He wasn't even able to scream. It hit him so fast that all he could do was allow his face to contort in an expression of such horror that words could dare not frame it to a reader. He looked as a corpse, yet quite alive, basking in a hell that no one man could comprehend. He fell to the ground like a rag doll. Still in that same expression. His muscles twisted wildly against the skeletal frame which held them. They spasmed outward in violent twisting contortions. Their stress was visible even beneath the skin which now rippled like the cool waters of a pool as some fish treaded just beneath the glassy calm. They screamed against each-other as the spasms grew more violent. With several contractions, it became clear that the muscle of his calves and thighs had actually strained so hard that they pulled off from the ligaments and tendons with which they were bound.

Even as they floated freely within his twitching skin they still continued to dance in agony. More popping sounds indicated the stress had ripped other predominant muscles from their moorings.

Kari listened to the sickening cries of his body as the straining muscles of his abdomen squeezed him so tight that his ribs cracked and then broke off into the tangled assortment of convulsing organs housed within his cage of ribs. The bone shards gouged and stabbed him in a thousand splintery fingers. Even then the muscle continued to spasm tighter around him - driving the bone deeper into the mound of vital organs which were now gushing a vast assortment of vital fluids into some great soup of bile, blood, and digestive acids which pooled in the pit of his throbbing stomach.

  
  


With a great wheezing cry the pressure collapsed his skull inward upon the brain which had began to cook itself through each strike of electrical impulse which was no longer being controlled by the mind that had once been Dayus. He wore the front section of his face as a mask over the quivering flesh that had once been his head. He was contained within the bag of his skin, yet the pouch of flesh was becoming more unrecognizable due to more bone and muscle ripping itself apart, feeding the soup which was now flowing through him...

  
  


She stared down on him almost sadly as the fires of his vacant sockets faded to just plain blackness of bone and flesh. He had died of grief... yet there was no heaven or hell for him.. Simply an eternity of this. Feeling all the pain at once. His own private purgatory. She had given him this violent end. A death far more hideous then the sword or the sudden explosion of the gun. He had died in agony. All the agony of a lifetime of evil compiled to one kiss of divine retribution. She watched as his soul left the twisted cadaver only to fade away into the darkness which she had condemned him to.

  
  


Kari was ill as she stumbled away. With the act of becoming a conduit to all his evil, she felt it all herself, though to a fraction of what he got. You cannot touch evil and not get the filth of it on your hands. To touch the hand of evil you are corrupted by it. Wickedness is a plague which infects those who handle it readily. Some of the handlers develop an immunity to the dark virus, while others are struck down by it. It was a minute portion of what Dayus got.. But.. The potency, however was enough. She felt slow tears running down her cheeks as she thought of tk. Pure, loving tk. The boy she would give anything for, even life. And then... she fell cold onto the ground. 

  
  


All was black.

  
  
  
  


****************************

  
  
  
  


Sora ran down the bleak and darkened expanses of the passageway. The tunnel was rustic and barely furnished with light enough to see. Small wall lights cast strange and eerie shadows from where they glowed phosphorescently - each tied to the wall by a steel panel. her footfalls echoed outward as the rapping upon a large and gothic old oak door. They reverberated outward against the Stoney ground in a panicked chorus of 'slap slap slap.' the air was sickening, it did not smell of moist earth, but instead of musty staleness combined with the faintly sweet smell of decay. Perhaps a rat had died here lately, been mortally wounded and crawled into the recesses of the blackened tunnel - where it died slow. But rat or not, something had died here... now that same animal was blending with the hackneyed bitterness of long dead air into some putrefied perfume. 

  
  


The tears had left her. Collin was now a thing of the past, a thing to be grieved over, but a thing she could not mourn now. Tai. It was all that mattered to get to him. After she had confirmed his condition, they could solidify their forces for a final assault on the emperor. If he was alive... oh god let him be alive. She recalled the sound of several shots to his chest. Hopefully his armor had taken the shots.. No. she could not think of _that_ now. He was alive. Hurt maybe, but alive. She would get her bearings once she managed to find a way out of this tunnel, which seemed to stretch outward for far too long. She only hoped it would not carry her too far away. She doubted that though. This was for immediate escape, not a tunnel to some far off escape. As she ran she began to focus on the tightness far too much. Sora had always been slightly claustrophobic. - side effect of watching tai die in such a tiny room. But she could not let the tightness of this tunnel squeeze her to immobility. They were children, the burning dawn that is. Each was capable, but without someone fully capable of getting them into rank and organizing the battle.. They were good, just not good enough to deal with this by themselves. She needed to be there...

  
  


Just as the darkness seemed to be endless she reached a new door. This door was different. Instead of a stone age steel plating door as she had previously come from, this door was different. Steel yes, blast proof, yeah. But unlike the previous door, this one was lever opened. Hopefully it was made so that the years of non use would have left it more mobile then the previous barrier that she had been forced to surmount. She docked her sword at her side. Then with a great heave wrenched downward on the lever. It clanked out painfully as it gave way with some reluctance, yet not the full-blown steadfastness of the previous door. It opened.

  
  


Making note to only open it a fraction of the way she seized her sword. Held it tight. She nor Collin had known where this would lead. It was an escape route, thus it was possibly going to lead her right into the heart of the guard's room. She drew up her breath and readied herself. From the crevice of the door came a silvery tendril of light. Sora wanted to run it over her hand, perhaps the light could elevate her fear of confined spaces. Yet she did not. This was going to be a dangerous moment. She would have no clue what lay beyond, thus she could not risk letting one of the possible guards glimpse movement from behind the threshold of the steel door. She would need to have what little surprise she could muster. They may have heard the lever's cry, seen the door slightly open. But they mustn't get a vague idea of where in the tunnel opening she was. She could not let them have a rifle trained on the area where she would be. She drew in a deep breath slowly. Then drew her foot up to kick the door open. She expelled the breath suddenly, as she threw her foot against the door. It swung wide as she rushed from the threshold, then pivoted to the left.

  
  


Her actions were on impulse, as the brightness of the outer-world temporarily left her blind. She heard no weaponry begin to fire, thus she assumed she was alone in the room, yet as her eyes adjusted to the new light she discovered she was in fact not alone.

  
  


"Hello bitch.." lady kale trailed off as she glowered darkly upon Sora. Her eyes widened as they took in the aspect of lady kale. Her hair was held neatly at her back by the steel clip. Black dress was smoothed perfectly. Not even a run in her dark stockings. Sora was amazed that she had handled the explosion so effortlessly. Perhaps she had ran home to change before coming here to intercept Sora. By comparison, the two women looked a world apart.

  
  


Sora was dressed in her battle attire, plain, yet comfortable. Boyish armor almost. The only real difference from male armor was the breast-plate - for obvious reasons. But in all it was heavier modern armor. 

  
  


Kale on the other hand represented a dignified side of the war. Black dress, dripping refinement. She looked more like a porcelain doll then a demon with her fair skin and blond hair which bore not a single misplaced tendril. Her beauty was more intimidating then the glowing heat-rod which lay coiled in her arms.

  
  


The room had widened considerably. There would be ample room for the battle which was on the verge of occurring.

  
  


"How did you follow me?"

  
  


"I knew you would have to take this escape route to avoid the guards. I knew where it would lead..."

  
  


"No soldiers?"

  
  


"No interference.. This is between us." she replied coldly.

  
  


"Good...." Sora growled as the sword raised upward to a ready position. She tried to appear far more formidable then she actually was at the moment. The stranglehold of the tunnel was rapidly losing its grip upon her, yet the touch was still there. She drew in shallow and quick breaths of fresh, non dead air as she began a slow circle of the blond woman who was smiling with calm malevolence. 

  
  


She was beautiful as Sora observed. Hair was in perfect condition, strait and shimmering as golden thread would shimmer within the richness of a medieval tapestry. Sora studied her smooth and creamy complection with a faint realization that she was a craven image to the Greek goddess of love: Aphrodite. Perhaps she was more worthy of Taichi... She wore elegant black silk, while Sora hung ready in a almost male set of battle armor which was worn and scared by battles long ago. Sora was beautiful in a way you look upon a girl you have loved since childhood is beautiful. But as she studied the aspect of the woman who called herself lady Kale, she was aware of the beauty found of a woman of exotic origins. Kale was just that. She was every bit as woman as the word inscribed. Elegant and graceful, capable of fierce aggression alongside gentle submission. Lady kale was silken rose petals upon the gardens of the empire while Sora was wild heather growing upon the stones of the land.

  
  


"How did you know where I would be?" she said in a low and calm voice as kale smiled a toothy grin of sinister expression.

  
  


"You were cut off from the arena... the only way you could have survived the wave of guards would be to flee through the old access tunnels. You are still quite close though.. Just one level down and still in the shadow of the Colosseum. It was easy to find you.. That tunnel is ancient, it was steep and twisted. I had plenty of time to track it to its origin. And here I found you."

  
  


"Why do you follow him kale.. I researched you... you aren't like him."

  
  


"And how would you know what I'm like?"

  
  


"You were almost killed by your father during a psychotic episode. He had murdered your mother in cold blood. But when he came for you, you killed him. You grew up in an orphanage." she paused.

  
  


"We were able to dredge up a few written records from the orphanage. You were described as an extremely gifted child, quick to learn, so well mannered that they questioned if you were still troubled by the rage you experienced after your father died. You never let anyone in. Never cried or laughed.. You just were...

  
  


After you turned eighteen you disappeared for a time, only to resurface upon the conquest of the human world. When the lords were assembled you took your place among them.." Sora quoted from a old data spread she had studied upon the beginning of the battles against the empire. Kale had always troubled her... she was different from Dayus who was so deranged that killing was his one joy in life. From Grendle who was a honor bound saurian. And from Sephiroth who at the time was a mystery as thick as the velvety night.

  
  


"You do your homework."

  
  


"Know thy enemy....." she replied simply

  
  


"Sound logic.. 

I tried once, to find out who you are. Strange... but I could not find anything about lady Kamiya or Sora Takenouchi beyond that it is your name. It would appear a skilled hacker deleted all data on the generals of the burning dawn. Sora Takenouchi is a ghost."

  
  


"I'm not dead."

  
  


"Yet.." kale completed as she stared into Sora's eyes.

  
  


"Who were you Takenouchi or Kamiya?"

  
  


"I was born Sora Takenouchi, a poor girl who's mother owned a flower shop. I was raised without knowing what hatred or war were really like. I was born into a life of innocence, yet cast that away when I was chosen as a digidestined." Sora spoke softly as she sensed this would be the last time they would have a chance to talk. Sora didn't truly hate kale.. She hated the demon which was a part of her.

  
  


"Ironic that a little flower girl would grow up to be one of the most feared killers of all history." Sora winced as the word killer fell upon her ears, she hated that word, but sadly could not defy its validity.

  
  


"And the Kamiya.." she continued. "That is the name I took for myself when the boy I loved was killed. His name was Taichi Kamiya, first true leader of the digidestined, first hero.. You know him as genesis." lady kale's eyes widened lightly as she stared into the burning rubies. The sapphires of her gaze clashed against the burning jewels of Sora's.

  
  


"That's not his name anymore.. That's not who he is anymore."

  
  


"You are lying to yourself kale. He is every bit as much a hero as he once was."

  
  


"Tai is dead.. He is genesis. Betrothed to me... he will re-join the empire... he will forget all about you bitch!" she snapped.

  
  


"No kale... Taichi will not. Mark my words lady kale, Taichi Kamiya will save this world. He is the greatest man I have ever known.. He will free us all from ken's grip. And in the end... it will be me who he loves."

  
  


"He is a great man.. That I'll agree too. He won't be able to choose you in the end if you are dead though."

  
  


"You're welcome to try kale... but in death I will always be closer to his heart then you could ever be in life."

  
  


"I've had enough of talking to you bitch. Lets settle this once and for all. I'll kill you and be done with this rivalry. Winner takes all.. Winner gets to be with him." lady kale drew up her heat rod as Sora continued to circle her, getting into a more mobile position. The circles were closing ever slowly as the heat rod had now left her arms where it had lain folded neatly. It now hung outward as the coils of a serpent ready to strike outward with a fatal bite. The tool was a weapon of demonic origins. It had steely barbs which were coiled around a fiberoptic cable which carried the impulses by way of radio signal from kale's neural implant to each of the steely sections of the whip-like appendage. It moved much more like a living thing then a advanced collection of hydraulic motors and various cables. It had sinewy motions as it rose up from the floor to a posture of a scorpion's barbed tail.

  
  


Sora took another step to the left, only to be alerted by a faint buzz of electric current. She cast a wayward glance to the cobalt grey circuit which hung on the wall. If she got any closer she would run the risk of brushing up against the exposed conduits. That would be bad. She mused to herself as she reversed several steps away from the box. She didn't look at it, didn't dare take her eyes off the glowing viper of steel and cable. But the buzz grew farther off so that it was only a faint hum, so she figured she had drawn far enough off to be ready for the assault that was hungered for in the sapphire eyes of the blond woman.

  
  


And with the sudden flash or hatred and rage the weapon exploded outward with a scream of metalic origin. The snake lanced at her with a jabbing motion of its lower coils. Sora avoided the strike with no effort. The tendril returned to her with a sudden backward snap. Sora glanced to lady kale with question in her eyes. Kale replied with a soft chuckle as the lance wiped forward once again, this time almost stabbing her through the head in one great jab. Sora dodged this also, with a quick movement of her frame. Again kale chuckled. Sora realized with a sudden dread that the woman was playing. Each death lunge was no more to her then a poke. A test. She was seeing if Sora was capable of defending herself against rapidly rising levels.

  
  
  
  


As if on cue the weapon speared at her again. This time Sora deflected the shot with a quick swipe of her sword. The whip returned quickly, this time hanging over kale's head in a ready to strike posture. Kale smirked.

  
  


Then with a flash of speed the weapon began flailing out in a dazzling barrage of stabbing motions which came from one source, yet by sheer speed appeared as five at once. Sora yelped as she leapt to the right, and as she was in mid air lashed out with her sword - deflecting another jab. She landed on bent knee several feet away, yet the second she made contact with the ground, she pushed off it. As she had just cleared the spot the rod crashed into it with a shower of fragmented rock. From the point of impact several gaping cracks were gouged into the stone ground. The weapon lingered there for a moment before resuming the chase.

  
  


It wiped outward at Sora, who was struck on the side by one of its coils. The collision wasn't as bad as it could have been. She hadn't made contact with a edge, though it was unclear if that was the doing of pure luck, or a sick whim on the part of kale. She was broken from her stride as the rod hit, it hurt badly, but thankfully it didn't break her hip of leave any gaping wounds which would cripple her. she did fall though. Fell hard. As her foot slipped out from under her she broke into a staggering roll which deposited her against the hard floor.

  
  


She glanced up from the ground with a bitter snarl on her lips as Kale suddenly began advancing somewhat faster upon her. before she had let the heat rod do the work for her, yet now the weapon had been drawn back to a tightly coiled sword-like appendage. As kale was drawing close enough to bring the makeshift sword down over Sora's side the girl gritted her teeth through the pain and rolled forward. Kale was taken aback by the sudden movement, yet even more so by the booted heel which crashed into her side sending her lurching backwards. The heat-rod flared hatefully outward with a random swipe into empty space as the woman was momentarily unable to focus its attack. Sora made it to her feet as kale composed herself. She was clearly not amused by the sudden retaliation Sora had made. Sora on the other hand was stifling a grin of triumph in that she actually hurt kale's pride more then her ribs. Short lived however. The rod exploded against the stone ground several feet before her causing a small wave of rock fragments to pelt her. she staggered backwards as she felt the sharp spears of stone jab into her soft skin. It became clear to her that the game was not even into full force yet. At this point it was simply a game of tag. Yet as kale glowered over her side which still ached with Sora's kick it became clear that the actual fight was on the verge of becoming a reality.

  
  


"Oh kale... I'm sorry. It looks like I got my boot-print on your dress... you can send me the dry-cleaning bill." Sora smirked. Kale snarled.

  
  


Sora dropped to the floor as the whip flew across in a horizontal arc intent on decapitating her. she frantically scurried in a half run- half crawl sprint. The weapon crushing into the earth beneath her feet with explosive rage. Sora continued on like that, frantically dodging and evading the weapon which shot forward with no delay. The neural implants had left kale able to control the heat rod with the same ease as moving an arm. But the heat-rod was so much larger and more versatile then a human appendage. With it she could strike outward with the speed of a cobra and the same lethal kiss of venom. She made use of her sword as best she could, though it could only be defensive. The weapon could travel over its body with such speed and ease that it offered no chance of making a desperate lunge to kale. Sora was pinned to a defensive posture.

  
  
  
  


The weapon moved against the ground like a snake of steel. It glided against the stone ground like a serpent glides through smooth waters with no ripple to advertise its presence. Yet this snake was far more dangerous as it could also lunge through the air with a second's elapse. Sora snarled as she began repelling the weapon with a series of slashes. Steel rang out against steel as the weapons clashed against one another. They sang out in a chorus of strikes against an anvil, and with each blow a series of sparks rained down. The frenzied pace of the battle began to elevate to that of a raging tide of screaming steel and fire as kale began lashing outward with the heat rod again and again. Still Sora was bound to defense and not to offense as kale was able to neither kill her, yet still maintain defense enough to prevent an attack.

  
  


Sora was losing.. Kale could maintain her assault by relying on the machinery of her heat rod, while Sora was tiring with each onslaught of furious lashes. Her muscles ached as she missed a block, resulting in the viper's bite. She screamed in pain as the white hot edge cut a small gouge in her calve muscle. She staggered backwards a step as the whip returned to kale, only to explode out again. Sora was able to move out of its path, yet not far enough to stop it from connecting. This time it lashed her arm with a searing bite of fiery fangs. She gaped in pain as her arm called out in waves of fiery misery. Kale drew back once again, this time lined up for a great wide lash, one capable of upending Sora, and cleaving her into two halves. The heat-rod sang out with a burning hiss as it prepared to kill her. Then it lunged.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


with a sudden burst of strength Sora heaved the blade against the coming death. She hurled it with all her strength, and as it med the steely assassin the impact jarred her badly. They clanged out against each other in a steely scream as one of the two weapons was slain.

  
  


Sora shrieked in pain as her sword shattered to jagged shards of metal. One such piece was driven hard into her forearm where it hung outward in suspension amidst a sleeve which was rapidly becoming stained bright red. The final defense had saved her from that strike of the heat rod, yet as her sword exploded into her arm she was so overwhelmed by sudden pain that she slumped to the ground - clutching her arm.

  
  


Kale snarled with triumph as she looked down to Sora several feet away. The great lady Kamiya had fallen, and fallen hard. The blood from her impaled arm now bled down her side and pooled on the floor. She didn't cry, yet she did huddle against herself as she rocked the arm softly. Her hair hung against her softly as she didn't look up to meet kale's gaze. The fragments of the sword which had not been projected into the wall now hung against the stone ground lifelessly.

  
  


"You almost had a chance..."

  
  


Sora said nothing

  
  


"I'm serious, I've killed hundreds. Not one of them lasted as long.

  
  


She just shuddered in a sudden jolt of pain as the wound began to bleed more freely.

  
  


"The heat rod is linked to my mind, it is tied to the base of my brain so I can move it just like an arm or leg. But it doesn't get tired like a arm. You were so close... maybe you would have even won if it weren't for the rod..."she grinned happily.

  
  


"Poor genesis.. Guess I'll be the one, not you."

  
  


Sora glanced up to look at her with a look of sad strength in her fiery eyes which were not marred by a single tear. She simply stared at kale with a quiet defiance. The look didn't waver even as kale drew up the weapon to strike her down. She simply stared up at her with a low burning fire through the hot coal of her gentle eyes. There was no burning hate there.. Simply a defiance of the woman who would be her executioner.

  
  


"Anything to say? Any clever jabs before I split you down the middle.? Come now bitch, you wouldn't wana waste the chance to spit at me before I kill you?"

  
  


"Kale.. **_GO TO HELL_**__!!" Sora snarled as she threw the piece of jagged metal at her. kale's eyes widened as the piece of sword which had once been embedded in Sora's arm now glided as a Sorokin. The weapon flew fast and true until it caught her against the face. She screamed wildly as the projectile cut into her face. It didn't kill her as Sora had hoped, yet it did do considerable damage. She wrenched it from her forehead as the wound began to bleed deeply. She screamed louder then Sora had ever heard anyone scream. It was a shriek of agony and rage and pain all muddled together in a great call of demonic agony. Her hands flew to her face as Sora struggled to her feet. The wounds were bad, yet not fatal... they would leave scars, but not horrible ones. The blood was flowing freely down her face and into her eyes, thus rendering her blind. Yet in her blindness the heat rod lashed outward wildly. It cut gaping wounds in the ground and walls as it flailed wildly. Sora was nearly killed twice in its raging motions.

  
  


She scrambled away as the weapon crashed through the ground in an explosion of rock and metal. The heat-rod was undamaged, yet without kale to guide it the weapon was out of control. Sora managed to halt herself just in the right place as lady kale began to regain composure over the whip. The blood still rendered her nearly blind thankfully.

  
  


"Hey bitch!" lady kale spun around to the source of the voice, and without a moment's pause lanced the heat-rod outward as a great spear. It was faster and more intent on killing her then she had ever known. Kale wanted her dead now more then ever, dead and bloodied under the burning lashes of the rod. Sora leapt to the side as the weapon missed her, yet continued outward until it impaled the electrical box.

  
  


The sparks exploded outward as the neo-titanium weapon plunged into the heart of the breaker with a flash of electrical fury. The swarming buzz that Sora had once heard was now a roar of electrical screaming mixed with the shrill cry of kale as the heat rod conducted the voltage directly into both her body, and by way of the implant.. Her brain. Her body convulsed violently as the weapon shivered under the current of electricity which sparked and flared against it. The rod began to thrash more violently as each of its coils began to billow smoke. Each of the ligaments were burning now. The fiberoptic cable was being seared by the electricity, and as that was fried the implant within lady kale began to short and scream within her cranium. Her eyes widened suddenly, then went pure white as the pupil became murky under the white haze, then vanished.

  
  


Sora gaped in horror as the ligaments of the heat-rod popped and crackled as each of their motors exploded. The result was as the slumped to the ground like a dead snake on the road. Lady kale suddenly slumped backwards as the rod left her hands. She fell hard and dead like a marionette whose strings had been severed suddenly. Sora cautiously walked over to her and studied her expression. She was looking up to the ceiling with a look of death. Her eyes were white and motionless. Sora almost thought she had died when the voltage killed the heat-rod, even more so when she checked vitals, only to find there were none. As she was getting up to walk away the voice of the fallen called to her.

  
  


"Sora..." it said in a soft voice of utter and complete helplessness.

  
  


"You're alive?"

  
  


"The implants in my body have a short battery.. I'm running off residual charge now. Sora.. I can't see.. What happened to me? Where's the rest of me?" Sora was puzzled by the comment for a moment before realizing she meant the heat rod. It was tied to her cerebellum after all. Thus it was a part of her.

  
  
  
  


"The heat-rod was destroyed, it took your neural implant with it. I guess it fried your brain pretty bad when the implant blew. You're senses must have been killed sense they were tied to the heat-rod's implant."

  
  


"I'm going to die aren't I?"

  
  


"You said it.. The charge in your implant's battery was minimal. There must have been just enough left to run some of your functions." she replied with a hint of sadness.

  
  


"Things are getting fuzzy..." she paused as she struggled to regain the thought she had on her mind.

  
  


"Genesis... you won.. It's your job to save him.... Don't let him die... he doesn't deserve to die.. Please Sora... save him..." she spoke as her voice began to waver lightly.

  
  


"W..what did you call him before? He had a name.. I.. Can't think of it anymore."

  
  


"Taichi..."

  
  


" T...Taichi... Sora... he loves you... He deserves you, and you deserve him... don't waste the chance with him. Don't give it up.. L.. Life is for the strong... you're stronger then me.. So don't be weak and give up. Kill ken.. Save the world if that's what you want... but don't give up..." she trailed off as Sora reached out and stroked her cheek.

  
  


"Taichi... it's a shame I never knew him by that name... it sounds so g..good... T..Taichi..." she faded off as the last of the residual power of her charge faded away. With the expiration of her charge the last shadow of life left lady kale. She faded away, and Sora was unsure where it was she went. She had done so much evil in her life that the odds were high it would be hell.. But the words of Mimi hung in her mind. A conversation long ago had. One where Mimi had told her that anything capable of love was capable or redemption in the eyes of god.

  
  


Perhaps lady kale had found redemption in that last moment...

Perhaps.. They all could find redemption......

  
  


****************************

  
  
  
  


The coliseum was huge, crafted to ornate detail of the glory which was the empire. Upon the far wall of the great structure there stood a statue of massive perportune. A mighty fire-bird whose wings wrapped around 75% of the circular structure. These wings stretched outward in brilliant detail as though the colossal bird were protecting the coliseum. It was of alabaster stone and thus shimmered in the light of the flaming pillars which now danced around the fire-bird. The smooth blue stone shimmered as though it had been carved from the night itself. Thus illustrating further that ken was god-like enough to create such a monument to the empire. The phoenix represented the empire's power to rise above all other things as the massive black bird now did. The empire would dwarf and humble all other man for there was no man who could match the splendor of the empire. From the perch of the mighty bird's midnight hued head all was visible. The city fell before it as a endless procession of humble monks and servants on bent knees. The clouds overhead had been fortified by black tarish smoke from the blaze. Now the white clouds which had once danced innocently in the heavens were polluted with the black stink of war and death. They grew malignant and swallowed up the sky like a great cancer of precipitation. Soon it was black as night. Dark and hateful. A testament to god's wrath over man for making war with itself. Would he care which side was in the right? Or would it simply be about who was killing and who was not? Regardless of god's favor or disdain they would fight onward.

  
  


From the top of the phoenix's head he stood. Casting a simple glance to the inky eye of the mighty bird. It shimmered back at him with the soft warm radiance of the flames which surrounded it. A soft orange glow which was reflected in the perfect luster of each chiseled feather. Of the strong and powerful curve of the beak to the menacing razors of the talons. All was shimmering with reflected flame. 

  
  


His cloak danced with demonic glee as it made violent and hellish motions with each guest of hot air. It was as deep black wings which flapped and fluttered like those of a crow in the hot winds which danced around him. He was clad entirely in black though the rest of his wardrobe was obscured by the massive black cloak. His hood was gone, pulled back so his hair was free to fly about the same winds which animated his cloak. Each tendril of golden hair glided softly on the winds. He had grown longer hair since the digital wars had concluded. Since he came to become one of the four.

  
  


With a sudden motion of his arms he threw back the cloak. His shirt was pure black, with a thin layer of leather armor which closed over his torso like the underbelly of a dragon. His arms were exposed, leaving clear view of his ivory muscles which were more visible in context to the perpetual darkness the phalanxes of clouds provided. They were normal arms, yet their normalcy ended abruptly as they came to each forearm. Black steel was mounted to the apex of each arm. It was from this steel that the jet-like blade would discharge outward in a whoosh of steel. A sound matt had come to love. Strength was all that matters. To survive the digital world he had to be strong and calculating. He would not have ended up like tai, a fool who was so willing to become a martyr. That wasn't matt. He had once tried to be TK's protector, yet that got old quick. All ideals of noble sacrifice for your brother were hazardous at best. 

  
  


Seadramon... he had leapt into the fray to save him.... almost got killed doing so. Stupid. Matt had come to resent his actions for they were suicidal and bore no practicality to normal life. He would not put his life down for another again. His acts of heroics had become far more sporadic as the months passed. He had seen what they were up against. Myotismon.. Devimon... they were tough guys.. Granted, no match for Kamiya and the others but they were still formidable enough to kill. Matt had been dragged into too many fights against foes who were capable of putting him in the ground. Thus once tai died and ken became a threat. He chose to side with someone who could obviously survive. Not just survive... he was capable of so much more then that. He could lead, and plan, and win. Matt's second ambition aside from survival. Power.

  
  
  
  


He had no power when his mom left. No power when the digital wars drafted him. No power when he was suddenly responsible for TK. No power when Sora had chosen to fall in love with a dead guy before him. Power was important in life. And through ken he could have that in spades. All the power he ever dreamed of. The strength and speed and fury of a lord of the empire. He could be whatever he wanted. And he did want something. Not just something, everything! He could have whatever he wanted if he proved just how worthy he was to take it.

  
  


He chose a new name. A name of power. Sephiroth. He had no clue where he heard it. Just that in some tongue it meant death's emissary. Death had power. It was able to take tai. To cripple the digidestined in both power and heart. Thus he chose the name of his one true partner in the digital wars. His secret benefactor who removed his only rival from the game. He became Sephiroth.

  
  


His eyes fixed over the burning world around him. They burned with an icy cold which could burn far more then fire. They shimmered in almost an arctic blue with each scene of fire consuming life. He knew he should be there.. With them... one of the soldiers who was dispensing release on the edge of a sword and not sitting up here admiring the view. But he couldn't risk any interruption.

  
  


This was his moment of truth. A moment to be savored and not wasted in the midst of a group of imperial soldiers. A death he had been hungering for long enough. One he wanted to savor and enjoy. Tai had been right. Fighting was a drug, an addiction. But the part tai was too weak to enjoy was what matt had learned to savor. Death... it could come in a thousand faces.

  
  


Death takes different people differently. Some scream and thrash about as they frantically try to rip themselves free of the sword. Others simply go white and slump over in defeat before the reaper could take them. some die heros and try to muster their strength for one last swipe. It was what truly enlivened him now. But he wanted to see how this one would die.

  
  


No. he needed to see it. As a child he had been a cry-baby, as a teen a hero who never cried...

  
  


That was the mystery to him now. How would his brother die. As a child or as a man. Would he scream out? Or just accept death? The thought struck Sephiroth with a simple joy. He would wait no longer for this answer. He had chosen this place so TK would come to him. So they could settle the fight once and for all. So he could kill the boy. Part of him was saddened by the idea... the rest of him was hungering for it. He was the bearer of hope... hope is a horrible thing. It gives people the impression there is a chance for better things in life. There's not. You are bound at your station in life as though you were chained to it. That was perhaps the main reason he wanted this fight. To kill hope.

  
  


"Hello brother." TK spoke softly as he clutched the sword in his white fist.

  
  


"Took you long enough..." he smiled as he turned to the boy.

  
  
  
  


"You knew it was me?"

  
  


"I know my brother... even if he hides under a cloak."

  
  


"Good... I was worried you wouldn't come."

  
  


"Wouldn't miss it for the world... why would you do this matt?"

  
  


"Betray you? Because it was in my interest to do so."

  
  


"We meant nothing to you? I meant nothing to you?"

  
  


He paused.

  
  


"You did once brother..." he replied with an almost sad tone

  
  


"What happened?"

  
  


"You started to grow up. You grew up into Tai." TK stared at him for a moment as if debating how that was an insult, yet from matt's lips... it was a horrible insult.

  
  


"So tell me bro... still have hope that you're going to change me? Make me come back to the flock?" he smirked

  
  


" Matt.. How can you help them? They killed dad. Nailed him to a wall and left him to die slowly!" he barked as his eyes shimmered with tears which would never fall.

  
  


"He was using the news-station to broadcast calls against us. He had to be taken out." TK grimaced by the tone devoid of emotion from his brother's lips.

  
  


"But... they crucified him!" he gaped in horror at his brother who was now smiling sweetly.

  
  


"TK... who do you think nailed him up there?" the young blond's eyes opened wide in horror as he looked upon his father's killer for the first time. Matt was smiling broadly as he studied his brother's eyes. But he couldn't tell if there was still hope there.

  
  


"I'm planning on making a visit to mom's by the way. Anything you want me to say to her?" he smiled even more broadly as Takeru took a step back in disgust.

  
  


"So... that offer to take me back still stand?" he smiled, yet stopped abruptly as TK looked him dead in the eyes. It was a frightful gaze only by the fact that there was no emotion in it.

  
  


"Idiot..."

  
  


"What?"

  
  


"I said you were an idiot.... you honestly thought I would beg you to come back.. Be my brother again?" he chuckled softly " there has never been an offer to come home matt... not once. You chose to do all this evil on your own... chose it... to kill dad... to abandon me... what gave you the idea I would ever let you anywhere near my family? And that's what they are now matt.. Sora, Kari, Taichi... they're my family. You.. Are not." he drew up his sword with a look of pure hate on his soft features. Matt looked into him for a time with question as to who this boy was.. he bore no resemblance to the child he had abandoned. He looked so.. Strong...

  
  


Matt smirked darkly as he drew both hands our to his sides. Then with a hydraulic whoosh the blades ejected from his arms. He wrapped his fingers around the shaft of the weapons just before the bladed edge began. The grips had been custom made to fit his hands, the pivot joint had been deigned to accommodate his distinct range of motion while maintaining a solidity of one piece steel. The weapon had been fitted to his brain much as lady kale's had been. With each thought he could control the swords. Will them to move with him, retract, or eject.

  
  
  
  


TK snarled as he lifted the sword up to his side in a defiant posture while matt drew both of his downward to his sides. They paused for a moment of debate as to how to kill their brother. It was matt who made the first move as he began running at TK with a scream of wrath and hate. The younger boy was able to swipe outward with his broadsword, yet just as they were about to meet matt launched himself into the air. He evaded the sword as he gracefully leapt over the TK. It was strange to witness as he glided through the air with one mighty flip. As TK's eyes followed he caught the faint grin upon his brother's lips as his hair and cloak danced hatefully in the hot wind. He landed with an air of grace about him as his polished black boots slapped against the alabaster of the head. He had landed back to TK, yet as Takeru swung around with his sword he was met by a blade. The two weapons rang out against each other with a metalic clang. Matt turned slowly - still holding his sword to TK's. 

  
  


The two were standing face to face as a whoosh of steel sounded the retraction of his second blade. TK looked to him with a moment of bewilderment as to why he would retract a sword without driving it through him . He got his answer as the back of matt's hand crashed against his face throwing him several feet away. TK rolled on the ground with a splitting pain in the side of his face. It throbbed and ached with agony as he clutched it with his free hand. He had been thrown so far with a slap from his brother's hand.

  
  
  
  


"What are you? You're not human anymore.." he stammered.

  
  
  
  


"Not entirely anymore..." he chuckled

  
  


"What did you do to yourself?" he gaped as matt's eyes began to glow with icy light.

  
  
  
  


" you remember Gabumon? Well.. He's the source... scratch that.. Was..." TK's eyes went wide in horror as matt continued.

  
  
  
  


"Once I had the empire to supply the know how... I used a donor...

  
  


I had Gabumon digivolve to metal-Garurumon.. Since we were partnered he was capable of becoming a donor to me. My body wouldn't reject his parts...

  
  


We harvested certain bio-technological components from his body, gradually replacing my organs with his. The process killed him of corse.. But it left me with a edge.. And a power...." TK's stomach twisted in nausea.

  
  


"You took your own digimon's organs... killed him...."

  
  


"Yes... 

good old Gabumon, truest friend I ever had. Only friend.... he begged me not to do this, but in the end he agreed to give his life for me. Give his power... his soul for me.

  
  


You see TK.. Digimon have incredible power... but none more then their souls, how that soul can be assimilated into a partner. And since I had part of his soul in me.. I could use his body.

I'm human on the outside, but these swords... they're just the tip of the iceberg. I have metal- Garurumon's bio generator in place of a heart. His cybernetic muscles in place of my own. hell.. His optical circuitry is wired in right behind my eyes." matt gestured to his eyes which were now glowing with a strange icy glow. They danced with wispy tendrils of frosty smoke.

  
  
  
  


"As you can see... it left me stronger... I am the equivalent of a mega digimon. Fast as one too..."

  
  


"Does this mean you're a god now? Some sick god... can you fly? Or did you decide not to have his jets ripped off his spine." TK spat.

  
  


"Thought about it... but not practical.. They would have been far to awkward. I prefer to be self contained... no wings sticking out.. Nothing that could easily give away what I am."

  
  


"Tough shit matt... I can see what you are just fine... you're a monster... evil... worthless."

  
  


"Sticks and stones little bro." he smiled.

  
  
  
  


"I AM NOT YOUR BROTHER!!!!" TK screamed as he leapt at him with his sword intent on cutting the thing's head off. Yet as he was about to cut matt in half the sword flew forward to block him again. Before TK could react he felt matt step forward and grab his arm. He smiled hatefully as he suddenly lunged forward and planted a kiss on his brother's head TK was stunned as the knee rammed into his mid-section. He staggered backwards as he tried to catch his breath, yet an awkward footing left him on his backside upon the ground. Matt smiled as he drew closer.

  
  


"Oh god that was close. Almost cut me with that toy of yours bro...." he drew his sword upward in a gesture to bring it down over TK. Splitting him in half. Yet as he was about to chop off TK's arm the younger boy slammed his foot outward, driving the steel-plated heel of his boot right into his brother's crotch. Matt screamed in pain as he lurched backwards in agony. TK scrambled to his feet with a light smile on his face.

  
  


"Looks like you weren't able to replace everything with metal-Garurumon's steel parts."he smirked at his own joke with only a little more humor then matt was showing as he clutched his throbbing groin.

  
  


His eyes shot upward in a hellish rage as the second sword shrieked into position. He snarled in a voice of feral rage as he lunged at TK. With a series of evasions he was able to keep head to head with the lord of the empire. Though matt was capable of using his two swords with little effort. And the augmented cybernetics left him considerably faster. Thus TK had to simply redirect ever attack's momentum or dodge it all together. There would be no way in hell he could really block one of those death swings when matt was this intent on killing him. With a quick duck he was able to keep his head, yet also given the chance to get an actual shot in. With a fast parry he plunged the tip of his sword into matt's leg. He screamed out in pain as TK withdrew the sword in attempt to block the coming onslaught. Little success.

  
  


The very leg he had impaled suddenly sprang to life as it collided with his chin in a crushing kick. TK sprawled backwards as matt swung at him with a sword. It made contact. As the weapon cut across his chest TK fought the urge to scream in pain. The armor he wore did little... it slowed the progress of the weapon, but was nowhere near capable of matching a mega digimon's wrath. He snarled as he felt the horizontal wound on his chest bleed freely. He didn't pause to feel the pain, for the moment matt was off balance he took a swipe at his brother, he cut a deep wound into matt's arm, yet was repaid with a spinning kick to the side.

  
  


The two continued onward like that in a dance of hatred and war as their blades met again and again in a symphony of steel and sparks. TK was doing quite well for an actual human. But matt was a hybrid. A being capable of taking more pain and dishing out much more. With each moment the battle raged his eyes glowed more fiercely with sapphire light. He was getting stronger as the battle continued. As more and more adrenalin triggered the lust a digimon feels for a fight to the death. The savage joy of an animal mingled with the mind of a man. TK lunged at matt with blade out, yet the elder brother spun out of the attack's path and continued with his 360 turn - driving a minor slash into TK's back. It was becoming far more obvious now who was more capable of winning this fight. They were doing a good job of distributing the damage to one another, yet matt was still ahead.

  
  


TK's arm throbbed with exhaustion as he repelled round after round of jarring swings of two swords. The digital hybrid could hit harder then TK could comprehend. And he was now smiling happily despite the fact that his blond hair was now matted with blood from a passing cut. His dark cloak was billowing with each movement as he charged TK happily. He could feel the power rushing through his body. The joy of the hunt. He was after all part wolf now. He enjoyed that side more then he ever let ken or the doctors know. He could smell the blood in the air now. Smell it through his new olfactory unit. The blood was part his and part his brother's yet it thrilled him in every cell of his twisted body. The wolf was now unleashed and happily hunting. The blood was thick in the air as the psychotic joy of a predator was hungering for it on his lips. He wasn't sure where this was leading.. In all his fights he was never pushed so close to the edge. To the side of himself that was not human, that was Garurumon. He had feared it once.. Feared the idea that Gabumon had begged him not to do this not for his own life.. But for fear of what matt would become once he was part Garurumon. Now this new thrill was a part of him. Like the saurians could regress to savagery, maybe he could too. And maybe he could hold on to enough of his mind to temper that savage joy with the mind of a man. His eyes were burning with cold fire. The same fire that thundered from his bio-generator. Garurumon's heart.

  
  
  
  


TK was now in a new zone of consciousness as he too felt a new thrill of the fight. Though his was not the lust of a wolf. It was not the lust of matt's psychosis... it was the idea that he could end it now. He could put his father's murderer to death. That he could avenge the pain he had known from losing a brother. Not in death but in life. He had lost matt's soul somewhere along the digital war... lost it to a darkness that he had not shed in a cave.. but instead taken back when no one was looking. He was evil... he killed and defiled his digimon in a way that was more evil then TK had ever known. A digimon partner was special.. It was a link forged by the two. The idea that matt had done that to Garurumon was more hellish then TK imagined Satan could be. He must fight now.. Must avenge all the evils done by Sephiroth. He would stop this monster from doing any more harm... regardless of wether he was blood or not. It was in that moment that TK felt the sword embed itself within his chest.

  
  


TK let out a soft gasp as he felt the weapon being pushed deeper into his side. In that instant he was entirely aware of his body, the feel of the sword as it scraped past his rib. As it cut deeper into his chest until it hung still inside his bleeding body. His eyes met matt's in a intense stare as he felt the blood begin to trickle down his side. Matt smiled.

  
  


"So much for heros.... tell me Takeru... have you given up hope yet?"

  
  


Matt smiled with a dark glee as he felt the smell of blood assault his nostrils. He had killed hope. When he had abandoned them the crest of friendship faded away. And behold the world that was created. One of depravity and pain. One of death and betrayal... one where there was no friendship.

Perhaps such could be with hope... maybe if he killed it's bearer he could smother the fires of hope. By extinguishing the life of TK.. He could rob humanity of the will to fight. The will to live..

  
  


TK mumbled something softly as he continued to stare into matt's eyes. It was spoken in the language of expelled breath with only the faint wisp of structural language. Matt leaned in further as he repeated himself, no longer able to stop the beaming smile that had appeared on his features. "Have you lost hope brother? have you embraced despair in the knowledge that you have lost? That this world is lost?"

  
  


He drew nearer.

  
  


"We will never lose hope!" he plunged the sword into matt with a sudden burst of strength that he never assumed he was capable of generating. The sword was buried to the hilt as the loss of blood was beginning to play with his senses. He could hear the scream that was more a howl then a human cry. He felt the boot as it kicked him off the sword which was still impaling him. He released the sword and allowed himself to fly backwards. He was vaguely aware of distance traveled. As he allowed himself to be thrown. He was done fighting... it was time to rest.

  
  


He landed hard upon the ground as a lifeless doll with glass eyes that only vaguely mirrored the beautiful blue they had once been. He glanced over to his side to find he was only inches from the edge of the statue's head. The fall would have killed him and frankly he was disappointed in matt. He would have preferred a fast death as opposed to a slow death of blood loss. The sword hadn't punctured organs, just impales muscle and scraped bone. The threat was of blood loss and the wound did allow for that. He would be dead in minutes as the crimson liquid began to pool around him. The pain was a ghost of what it should be.. The numbness was fast to set in.

He glanced to find matt still standing with the blue fire now billowing from his eyes. He wasn't bleeding, though there was blood. It had frozen to his chest. Apparently the blade had cut into the bio-generator that had been the source of metal-Garurumon's strength. It was a bio-machine... but also the generator for his powerful ice attacks. The wound must have cut into the structure.. He was freezing from the inside out.. Slowly feeling the blood in his veins turn into shards of crimson ice. He looked panicked and enraged as he wrenched the sword from his chest with a cracking sound of both bone and ice. The weapon landed on the alabaster stone with a impact which shattered the weapon like glass. Frozen solid.

  
  


"Did you think that would stop me brother? you are like Taichi... a martyr... Be proud Takeru... you're just like him.. Another brave fool.... and just like tai it's your turn to die!" his swords were fully drawn as he began running at TK. His lips were pulled into a hateful snarl that made his face look more like some demon mask and not a face at all. He leapt into the air in a frantic dive with his blades held outward, ready to plunge into TK. In that instant that he was about to make contact TK's mind suddenly sharpened to the edge of a razor. With a sudden cry he shot upward and took matt's hands by the wrist and brought his leg up to meet matt's mid-section. With a great heave he was able to use Sephiroth's momentum to propel the lord of death over the edge of the statue's head. In that instant he was able to send matt into the night air. He heard the shrill scream as his mind began to grow hazy. He huffed painfully as he forced his head to look down at matt for fear that the lord would be clinging to the statue like some villain in the movies. This was not the case.

  
  


His arms flailed wildly as he continued to plummet downward. His scream of both terror and hate was rapidly fading as he continued to fall. He fell forever as he sunk deeper and deeper into the haze, then with a sudden shriek his fall ended.

  
  


Matt lay there with a look of horror etched on his now still face. He was able to glance down to the source of his throbbing pain for only a heartbeat. Then with that heartbeat which was cut in half by death's grip on his eyes frosted over pure white as the cold overtook him. And that was how the life of matt ended, though no one would know him by that name. That is how the life of Sephiroth ended. He hung there in suspension. Arms held out to his sides in a dead slump of complete lifelessness. His head had fallen backwards as the life left him. The spear which now held him aloft had impaled him through the chest puncturing what would have once been a heart. He didn't bleed, simply hung there with his ribs broken inward and insides mangled by the protruding spear which had once been a flagpole bearing the insignia of the empire. The flag now was stained red and hung against his frame like a burial shroud. That was the end of the bearer of friendship. The one time digidestined... who would be only known as Sephiroth : emissary of death.

  
  
  
  
  
  


TK turned away as he sunk deeper into the haze that was filling his eyes. The pain of his wound was now replaced with a strange warmth. All fear began to fade away as he continued to stare up at the sky through a break in the phalanxes of black clouds. It was beautiful... there was a strange peace as he felt his lifeblood draining from his body. Yet as he continued to stare up into the heavens it grew brighter. With slow movements the sky turned to silvery light that took his breath away as he stared up into the glowing shroud of silver mist. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And then the mist began to take shape with slow movements as the light transformed into the image of his own angel. She smiled softly into his pale expression.

  
  


He choked out one word through his parched lips.

  
  
  
  


"_Kari_?"

  
  
  
  


****************************

  
  
  
  
  
  


ken slowly rose to his feet as he surveyed the damage to his body. There was none. The fall had been hard, yet by some strange quirk of fate he had survived with no more then a light bruise on his left leg. But that was stating the obvious that fate had sided with him. He was the one fate loved more then any other man. Since he was a child he had been the best. The strongest and most destined of all. From the days of his childhood it had became clear that he was being groomed for something bigger then all others. And that is how he grew to know himself. He would watch other children with a simple smirk upon his lips. They were not at his level. Fate had not destined that they would know true greatness, only ken would have that future. The years had passed well for him as with each day he grew closer and closer to his goal. It didn't shock him at all that the fall had left no wound upon him, for how could fate strike him down when he was so close to the ascension he had been making gradual steps tword from childhood. He was at the doorway to this brave new world which he would create and consume inside himself. He was so close.

  
  


His thoughts were pushed aside as he tested his muscles. He could not permit self indulgence yet. Not when there was still one who could break him of his glory and future. The one being who was capable of defeating fate and destiny itself. The one capable of defeating ken.. Genesis.. Ken suddenly began scanning the arena for him. He saw the corpse of the saurian, several imperial guards who had been thrown into the arena as well. Yet when his eyes met the shadowy form several feet away he was filled with dread. Genesis lived. The chest was marred with blood that had stopped flowing and yet adorned him with a grizzly war-paint. His hair was lashing in a wind that seemed to blow only for him. This spectral wind tugged at his cloths now as he began to walk forward with slow and thunderous steps that fell both silently upon the sandy path and thundered like the coming of a god with each slow step. His eyes were dark in a way never before seen. The pools of his eyes were forged of burning shadow which flickered like the fires that now clawed at the arena's wall. He held a sword ready for the coming fight, yet ken got no solace from his weapon for genesis too had a sword. And his was now shimmering in the same black fire of the boy's darkened eyes.

  
  
  
  


The guards rushed upon the genesis with a sudden vigor to protect their sovereign. Yet as they met him with a sword pressed to his chest he showed no fear that could be seen by any observer to the slow trek ever closer to the lord of the empire.

  
  


"Step aside" he murmured darkly as he took hold of the steely weapon, then bent it away as though it were tinfoil. The guard's eyes were wide as he met the gaze of the new genesis. This was not really Taichi now.. But it was something that moved through him. The same power that once called the digidestined to the digital world now moved through him. The same force that enabled all digimon to digivolve now flowed through his blood. It was as though he were now the embodiment of a world that was now gone and yet still existed. He was the digital world's prince. The one chosen to save it, and now chosen to avenge it. The digital world had been assimilated into earth, yet the old gods of that data realm perhaps had not died and faded away. Perhaps they were just asleep.. Asleep in the form of a scrap of data existing in suspension within the fabric of the digital. A scrap of form that had been human once, yet now was the genesis.

  
  


That thought troubled ken. If Taichi was the instrument of the digital world's vengeance he had been playing along with something he could not comprehend. He had no clue where he found the secrets of genesis... but the power was present all through the digital world, and now that power was scattered across the new earth. Taichi moved past the guards with a slow trek. They were white as sheets - perhaps having seen something they weren't meant to see... some great primal force of ancient power contained within the genesis. They ran.

  
  


"It's time brother... the empire is dead... now you must join it." he spoke in the words of Taichi and yet beyond Taichi. It was fearsome regardless of its origin.

  
  


"No tai... this world is not free yet.... nor will it ever be!"

  
  


A new voice sang out from across the expanses of the arena. It came from the nearby bleachers and as it rang out both boys turned to see who it erupted from. 

  
  


"Your lords are dead ken! Your armies are retreating... you've lost!" Taichi smiled as he looked upon the face of Sora. Who was now standing alone on the wall of the arena. She looked beautiful to Taichi as he studied her soft frame. The dragon's tear still hung around her neck and now shimmered in the dim light.

  
  


"The burning dawn has taken the city!"

  
  


The arena floor began to fill slowly with a series of faces the dumbstruck emperor could recognize vaguely from data files. The generals of the burning dawn were filtering into the arena. His expression pales as one after another they came. Came and took their places beside Sora.

  
  


Izzy had now linked arms with Mimi who was smiling softly. the two kissed softly and turned their gazes to ken. They had a look of emotionlessness upon their stern features as they stared at ken. They had each seen so much pain that the combined sorrow seemed to swell about them, yet it did not drown them. Instead they had rose up through the surf of black water and now stood atop a sea of hatred. They had watched so many others die, and now as they looked upon the last fight.. It was as though they were seeing the end of the storm. They could have a new world to begin anew in now. They would be married in a world where there was infinite possibilities, and among those possibilities peace and love were present again.

  
  


The next faces to arrive were that of Davis and Yolie. They had managed to free the captives and had now returned to watch the final battle of a war that had gone on too long. Davis scowled at ken and gestured to his scared face. Yolie had wrapped her arm around his waist. Her hair was tousled and drenched in sweat but she was alive. The two had been through a lot, yet it all suddenly seemed alright. It was as though the night were slowly being shattered by the golden rays of morning. Yolie turned and smiled softly to a older woman who was smiling proudly at her. then to another set of people who were the family she had lost so long ago. Her eyes were streaked with tears as she smiled at each of her brothers, sisters, and parents. Davis was smiling too now as he watched the woman he loved interact with her parents, her family. Davis had lost his... jun was dead.. He found her marker upon the slave camp's cemetery. He was alone in the world, and yet with Yolie by his side... he would never be alone again. They were his family now too.

  
  


Cody now joined them. he said nothing, mearly stared into the fearful eyes of the emperor. He held a sword in his hand that shimmered softly of silver in the growing light he was made of stone and just as intimidating as his features gave no clue to his emotions upon this day of freedom. He had a sorrow in those eyes, yet also a sense of strength. A iron determination about him that radiated outward as an aura of strength... and honor.

  
  


The next face was that of joe. His eyes were not to ken, but instead to the frame he was supporting as he made his way to the others. He was above vengeance, he had been and always was a doctor, and that is what he was now. A saver of lives. He held Takeru in his arms with some effort. The boy was bandaged and treated carefully for all his wounds and injuries. He was still able to look up at ken though. His eyes burned as they stared at ken. If he were crippled with agony it would not be knowable by those eyes. They looked upon the emperor with a strength that exceeded his body's injuries a thousand times. He was propped against the wall with the air of joe. He was able to stand on his own power which both amazed and frightened the young doctor.

He cast a soft smile to joe which was returned, yet then his gaze turned to the woman at his side.

  
  
  
  


Kari stroked his cheek softly as she brushed the blond locks from his eyes. He was on the verge of death when she came to him, but by some magic that exceeded the sorceress he was able to live. He had a power that swelled within him as he looked upon the angel who had come to take him. Kari had found TK on the verge of death, yet as their lips met in a soft kiss goodbye something happened that neither of the two could comprehend. Perhaps they never would understand it, but they could never doubt it. Somehow their love was able save them, to give them hope. And perhaps that's what the magic was... the faith that the nightmare was now ending. That the war was not at its end. That perhaps there was hope for the human race.

  
  


Ken stared darkly at them as each silently stared into his soul. Yet his gaze drew wider still as new faces took their place in the arena. Not the faces of soldiers. But instead the faces of ordinary men and women. They came as a great swarm of utterly silent faces, the faces of the empire. The faces of those who would plea for freedom against tyranny. The bleachers were filling quickly as more and more stood up in opposition of the emperor. They were as a great sea of men each rising up in their own private war against the chains that bound them. the coliseum filled with such faces as ken's eyes remained wide with shock that so many would revolt against him. Even after it filled more came. They stood in the isles and once the isles were filled they filled every void of space.

  
  
  
  


It was then that the first voice called out. Soon echoed by another, and another still. Sora listened in amazement as they began chanting out in a great swelling roar for deliverance. A roar that took the name of Taichi. They called out to him over and over in a great swelling cry that pulsed outward like a great thunderous heartbeat that was growing stronger and stronger with the second as deliverance from evil grew within arms reach. Sora smiled with pride as the people she had fought for now fought for themselves. They fought to take their own lives back and they sang out with that desire in the name of their savior. It was not the name of genesis that they tolled out in the cheering toll. It was the name of the boy she loved more then life and had more pride and faith in then any other. she turned to the burning dawn only to find them now calling out the name of their savior. Kari was beaming with a similar pride as she chanted along with the others in the great thunderous song of freedom and deliverance in the form of her brother. Sora felt tears sting her eyes as she glanced to the source of the call. He turned to her with a look of shock and amazement as their eyes met. Sora smiled and whispered out 'I love you.' then she too began to call out his name proudly.

  
  


"TAICHI - TAICHI - TAICHI..." they sang.

  
  
  
  


"It's time ken... relinquish your power over this world and I swear to you that no harm shall come to you." he spoke softly in a voice of soft tenderness to his brother who was looking at them with a burning hatred. His eyes burned as he listened to them call out for his brother.

  
  


"Never...."

  
  


Taichi raised his sword upward, signaling his seriousness.

  
  


"Don't make me do this brother... I don't want to kill you..."

  
  


He chuckled... "don't worry tai... YOU WON'T!!" in that instant he raised his hand to the sky in a defiant gesture. His ring exploded with light. In a blinding flash of a power that Taichi recognized in sudden terror. Ken snarled with victory as the black stone radiated with the power of the genesis. The ring smoldered with pure white light as the voices halted in a panicked silence. No one knew what he was doing except Taichi who had turned white as a sheet. The ring's glow was becoming brighter with each moment elapsed.

  
  


"KEN!?! YOU DIDN'T!?!" he screamed as he watched the boy smile darkly.

  
  


"If I can't have this world, no one will...." he chuckled as Sora vaulted over the wall and made her way to tai with a sudden panic as she sensed what this light was. And what it meant to the world.

  
  
  
  


"Tai is that what I think it is?!?" 

  
  


"Genesis phase 2.... " he replied gravely yet was cut off by ken.

  
  


"Without the solution to the zero factor..." he grinned

  
  


"Ken! Without the solution for the zero factor that will destroy the world! All life with be eradicated!" tai yelled in a panic.

  
  


"Like I care?" he replied with a smugness that pushed Sora over the edge.

  
  


___"I'll make you care you son of a bitch!_" she snarled as she grabbed Taichi's sword from his hand.

  
  


Before either of the two boy's could react she swung the sword at him in a great cutting slash. Ken brought his hand up reflexively to guard his face, only to find his head was not the target of the slash. With a sudden splash of blood he cried out in a shrill scream as his hand was cut away in the great laceration. The red mist splattered on Sora's face as she snarled out in a feral growl that was in no way gentle or compassionate. She watched with a sudden sense of shock at her own actions as the emperor's right hand was severed from his forearm.

  
  


He cried out in pain as he clutched the stump that had once been his wrist. It bled profusely as the hand complete with ring fell to the floor in a sudden sickening thud. Taichi's eyes were wide as he grabbed the sword from her hands. He had never seen Sora so enraged, yet he had no time to think of that as the hand was suddenly reduced to ash in an explosion of white light which threw them all backwards several feet. Sora landed in tai's arms as the two lovers stared in horror at the pillar of white light that now erupted from the ground and into the heavens. It swirled in what would appear to be a temporary calm before it would erupt in a purge of all life.

  
  


"Oh god... that light..." Sora gaped as her eyes filled with tears.

  
  


"It's familiar..."

  
  


Sora stared at the pillar of silver light that she had seen once before, not from a ring, but from a tower. It was the same light that had once taken Taichi from her, and now was ready to take all life away. She feared that light more then anything she had ever known. It was not a beautiful light, but instead a light that had illuminated the most painful loss of her life. And here it was again.. Ready to take it all away from her again.

  
  


"How do we stop the phase?"

  
  


He was grimly silent.

  
  


"Sora is that genesis phase 2?" izzy asked with a notable hint of fear on his voice as he joined them.

  
  


"Yeah..." tai replied as he stared into the light as if in a trance.

  
  


"The process in chain reactive. We can alter the program but we can't stop it. The phase is happening.. But if we can solve the zero factor then the process is correctable. It wouldn't be fatal." izzy said as he pulled out his lap-top and began spooling through the data on the genesis that he had liberated through the empire's compute system.

  
  


"Koshiro... the empire scientists spent years studying this... they couldn't solve the zero equation. What chance do we have in a few minutes at most?" Yolie said as she drew closer and glanced at the laptop.

  
  
  
  


"Sora..."Taichi spoke softly in words hidden within his breath. He was pale as he glanced to her and she was pulled away from izzy's computer by his eyes.

  
  


"Tai?" she questioned as he stared into her soft eyes which were not looking at her, but through her.

  
  


"It's calling me..."

  
  


"What is?"

  
  


"The light.. The genesis." his eyes faded away to a golden glow as he spoke. Sora's eyes were wide as she stared into the same eyes she had loved as a child and yet were so different now. They glowed with molten gold now. Her eyes were filled with tears as she looked into the golden pupils of her love. They smiled softly at her in a way that was both Taichi and not.

  
  


"Taichi!? What's happening to you?" she blurted out as izzy took his gaze from the laptop and cast it upon tai. His dark eyes widened as they looked at the boy. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


"The genesis is not random energy..." he spoke softly in a voice that was only part tai.

  
  


"Tai... are you ok!?" Sora panicked lightly.

  
  


"Sora.. I.. Understand. The genesis is not just power. It's life."

  
  


"What?" izzy asked as he stared at tai.

  
  


"I understand it now... at least part of it. The genesis is the soul of the digital world. It is the power that enables digivolving. The power that sustains life while the body is broken down to bytes of data and then reconfigured as a higher level digimon. But.. It's more then that. Genesis is not just a part of digimon.. It's a part of us all..." he replied as his eyes continued glowing softly with a warmth that somehow terrorized and comforted Sora the same time as she stared at him.

  
  


"Taichi.. Are you referring to the premise that all matter is at its base level energy?"

  
  


"It's something like that... I don't understand the science behind it all.. But I feel it all around me. In the air.. In the earth." he turned to Sora. "In you."

  
  


"Genesis is life... it's a part of all life..."

  
  
  
  


"Tai.. You said it's calling you... do you know how to solve the equation for the zero factor?" izzy questioned in his normal analytical tone.

  
  


"Yes... I think I do." he began to walk to the light as Sora let out a shrill cry before grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the pillar of light. He looked at her with question in his radiant eyes as they stared at each other. Sora's eyes shimmered with tears As she mouthed out a heartfelt plea for him to not do what she knew he was planning. He stared at her for a moment before taking her into his arms. She buried her head into his chest as she sobbed with grief.

  
  


"Please not again." she cried.

  
  


"Sora.. I have to do this."

  
  


"No.. No you don't! You'll die right!? You can save the world but you'll die doing it right!?"

  
  


"I'm not sure if I'll die..." he spoke softly as he stroked her hair. The other members of the burning dawn were with them now, though they were silent as they watched the two of them. Kari stared at tai with a strange lack of sorrow. He looked so different since last she had seen him, but he was still tai. She wanted to throw her arms around him but instead she remained silent by a force she could neither bless nor curse.

  
  


"Sora... the genesis was never evil.. It wasn't made to destroy, but instead to create. It wasn't the genesis that turned me evil.. It was me who turned the genesis evil. I corrupted it. It was my human side that did all this when it was bonded with the genesis power.... I have to make it right. Or at least try."

  
  


"You're not evil to me tai." she sniffled pathetically as the light grew brighter around them.

  
  


"Guys... we're running out of time." izzy spoke as he motioned to the pillar of light.

  
  


His eyes stopped glowing as he looked at her with a sad smile. She returned it with little enthusiasm since she knew he was going to do it. He held her tighter then he had ever held her before. She clutched him tightly as she stifled the tears against his strong chest. He kissed her softly as he smiled against her soft lips. They didn't get to kiss goodbye last time.. But this time they did. That was perhaps the most painful part of it all.. That last kiss.

  
  


He left her with only a heartbeat's delay for he knew that if he stopped now, he would never be able to do it at all. She looked at him with the same eyes she had looked upon him with before yet this time there was nothing left to be said. All was known.. All was felt... but sadly the regrets were still there. He approached the pillar of light with no trepidation. Yet as he reached the cylinder of glowing energy he paused and turned.

"I'm still proud of you all... more then you'll ever know." 

  
  


he stepped into the cylinder of light with a great flash of silver. Inside the beam all was still and he could feel his body vanishing in the power of the destructive light. He didn't pause, for a moment's delay could bring him too far to the edge. He saw the black ring floating silently in the blinding light of the pillar. He snarled in pain as he clasped it within his white hands. Then with pure determination.. He put it on. The device sensed that it had been claimed by a new finger. And thus the circuitry responded by locking on to him. Tai snarled in pain as the ring's claws embedded themselves upon his finger, locking the two together until he were killed, or like ken.. His hand cut off. 

  
  


He tried not to show pain despite the agony he felt as the steel claws dug into the bone of his finger. The ring had chosen its new owner, and as the two were joined the pillar of light began to stabilize. The swirling energies now seemed somewhat more calm. Wasn't enough though. The ring began to burn on his finger as though it were smoldering hot. He could feel tendrils of grey smoke as they wafted upward from under the glowing hot steel. He was bearing the pain, for each moment he existed within the beam it stabilized more, yet it also was that much closer to killing him. He could feel himself vanishing within the power that was a part of him. He was broken from his trans of pain by the new sensation of pressure around his mid-section. He looked down only to find Sora had thrown her arms around him and was now with him inside the core of the genesis. His eyes widened in horror as he stared at her. yet she simply looked up to him with a defiant gaze. 

  
  


"Not letting you do this again..."

  
  


"Sora.. you can't survive here... the genesis, or the ring may have protected me a little. But you'll die!" he tried to push her off but was unsuccessful in two ways. She was already exposed, and she would never let him go willingly. He closed his eyes as he allowed himself to hold her for what would be their last time. The raw power of the genesis was dangerous without an outlet, and to a human it would be the equivalent of radiation. He held her in complete silence as he felt the surging energy against his skin. Tears began to fall slowly down the sides of his cheeks as he now preyed for death. He wanted an end. Wanted to be with her. she was going to die... and he preyed to god that he could die with her. 

  
  


"Tai..."

  
  


"What?"

  
  


"You were right.... the light is beautiful." she awed as she continued to stare into the silvery column of light. He remembered the pain of leaving her.. But it was dwarfed by the pain of losing her which he now felt.

  
  


"Yeah.. It is beautiful..." he kissed her softly as he felt the pain fade away.

  
  
  
  


The swirling mass of light began to twist and pulse outward in a great wave of energy. Izzy stared into the silvery power which was known only as the genesis. The beginning. He wasn't sure if the presence of tai in the core could change it. He did know it was possible that since Taichi was both human and genesis he could possibly be the key to the zero factor. But frankly he didn't know anymore. Didn't care. It was now a matter of destiny. Yet as the light passed over him he was amazed by its feel. The power was not painful, just strangely warm. It moved as a fog across the land with a slow and all-consuming touch.

  
  


Davis studied his hand as it seemed to change somehow. Then his arm. It was not an unpleasant change, or a physical one at that. It was indescribable. But it was something that felt strangely right. Like he was digivolving, though not to some higher level life, but changing inside. Every cell in his body began to become something new and yet strangely familiar. It was maddening to describe how the change occurred in him, but it was there. He watched as the waves of light pulsed outward beyond the arena floor and out into the streets. Farther still. It began to stretch out its silvery fingers across the globe as the snowy light embraced all life within itself and began a similar change. The power of genesis was beginning something that none of them could expect or prepare for. The world was changing into something beyond what it once was. perhaps for better....perhaps worse....

  
  


Tai didn't look out at the world. Not at the light. He simply clung to the frame in his arms with a growing terror that she had not survived the change. When he turned to look at her would she be dead? Would those beautiful eyes now be still and faded. The fires smothered to blackened ash? He didn't want to face that yet. Not ever. He wanted to believe that she was alive though in his heart of hearts he knew it was not so. As his eyes opened they widened to something that bordered between dream and nightmare.

  
  


Sora stared at him through new eyes. Not just red, but molten red. Like the shimmer of rubies can glow with a iridescence of burning red light. The glow was soft and yet inspired pure shock in him. He glanced down at her with a silent assessment to if she was still really Sora or something else. He stopped at her neck. For the source of the change lay there. The dragon's tear necklace was now smoldering with the same ruby glow that was reflected in her eyes. She smiled and with a gentle touch took his hand, then with her other hand brought the fragment of the destiny stone to the black ring. Tai's eyes widened as the black stone began to glow softly with a golden radiance as it was brought closer to the necklace.

  
  


"There was more then one fragment of the destiny stone Taichi..." she smiled at him.

  
  


"It.. Saved you? Us?" he gaped

  
  


"I guess you still have a destiny to fulfill... and that I am a part of it." she grinned broadly as she stared into his eyes that were now alive with a golden glow. He smiled, then with a sudden act he drew her into a deep kiss. The light whirled around them in violent and caressing patterns as the two were lifted several feet into the air. They hung there, still locked together by the power that danced around them with white lightning that did not burn. Their hair was tousled wildly as they remained locked together - completely oblivious to the world around them. The heavens began to swirl about as the great clouded sky now now reacted to the genesis too. Nature was bending to the power that radiated from them. tai wasn't sure anymore if Sora was not the cause of it all herself. But the thought resounded through his mind as he continued to explore her mouth.

  
  


He had been dying, yet when she joined him in the light they were able to solve the zero factor. They were able to balance the massive power of the genesis with life. Genesis means the beginning. Creation. He recalled that biblically creation was an act of love. Perhaps Sora was the key to unleashing the power within. Perhaps the love he held for her was enough to counteract the evil he had made the genesis into for long enough to create again. Sora was the key to it all.. Her love for him, and his for her was perhaps the only way to create life. To preserve life.

Maybe that was the destiny of the twin fragments of the destiny stone... 

  
  
  
  


"My god.. It's amazing..." TK stammered as he stared into the light that now radiated from the two."

  
  


"It's the beginning of something...." Kari awed as she looked at her brother. The one chosen to bring about a new beginning for both the digimon and the humans. For all life. But as she stared into the perfect white light she was overcome by a sudden wave of premonition. This was not over... they had unleashed a power that no one would be able to comprehend. A power that she, the sorceress was beneath. The genesis was something she couldn't quite understand. And that scared her. she wanted to believe this power was benign. Yet somehow she knew there was something dark on the wing. Something that had just been unleashed.

  
  


"Lets just prey it's something good...." she completed as she watched tai and Sora step out from the pyre of white flame.

  
  
  
  


They looked the same as they had before they had entered the pillar of light. Their eyes had returned to their normal red and brown coloration, yet something seemed slightly different within those eyes. Like they had touched something that was greater then all of us. Sora's necklace had returned to the onyx-black. And tai's ring appeared as normal as the black ring got. Joe was now examining the ring on his finger with only a light whimper from tai as the doctor studied the now attached piece of jewelry.

  
  


"It cauterized the wounds as it cleaved them. I'll need an x-ray to see if it will be possible to surgically remove it." tai turned white and frantically ripped his hand back. Sora laughed softly as she studied the look of terror on his face.

  
  


"No thank you! I can live with it! No surgery!" he squeaked in a shrill voice.

  
  


"All men are babies" Sora chirped oblivious to Kari's stare. She was studying them intently. How can two people just save the world and now be giggling like children? How could they be so light in a time like this? She sighed in defeat and assumed it was simply paranoia. Tai and Sora were most likely dealing with it as best they could. And often laughter was the best cure for terror nearly averted. But still... she felt the thing... the darkness that was a faint whisper upon the wind.

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Umm... guys?" Davis gaped with a sudden pale expression. "Where is ken?!?"

  
  
  
  


"Oh god." Sora snarled as she frantically scanned the surroundings only to find him gone.

  
  
  
  


It was then that they heard the call upon the wind. Kari's eyes widened as she listened the beastly howl that rang out through the suddenly darkening skies. It rang out loud and clear with a deep bellowing roar which brought the hairs on the back of every neck to full attention.

It snarled out in this great demonic roar that somehow was alluring. It's origin was as of yet a mystery... but there was some things they could distinguish. 

Whatever it was.. it was big. And it was coming...

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Can we truly comprehend the full reach of our actions?**

**We like to believe we are omnipotent**

**Yet that is far from true.**

  
  


**As we blunder outward into the unknown can we be truly ready for the full spectrum of what lays beyond?**

**To see the wonders that wait beyond, to know the beauty of the unknown...**

**but in our quest do we dare contemplate what we unleash with each act of ignorance?**

**And if we are omnipotent**

** will we be able to deal with what we set loose upon the world?**

**But even knowing that... we continue onward.**

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Not The End....**

   [1]: mailto:logan91235@aol.com



	9. Genesis 9

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters portrayed in this fic. You try to sue me you are going to be going through way to much effort to end up with nothing at all. So... don't sue me!

  
  


Is it just me or are these fics getting longer? I would like to be a writer some day and it looks like at this rate I will be up to a novels length in a few more fics. -_-' sorry about that. Well here ya go.. Chapter 9 of genesis... this is basically the end of my series. There will be a part 10 so I can close everything up. But the final battle is here... I tried to end this fic with bang for a final battle..

So hopefully you all won't be disappointed. This fic has been going on for so long that I find it hard to think of it as over. Granted I have stockpiled a few ideas for some taiora fics after it, but it's going to be weird leaving this storyline... sigh.. Guess I'm getting all sentimental over my first series... -__- well here ya go... chapter 9 of genesis... hope you enjoy

  
  


mail me at [logan91235@aol.com][1]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Genesis******

  
  


**9******

  
  
  
  
  
  


**By Logan**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**"Ascension Into Godhood"******

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Ken ran through the blackened corridors of the great cathedral. He was gritting his teeth as he clutched the stump which bled heavily from the severed arteries and splintered bone. In all his years as ruler he had never been struck, much less maimed by a sword. It hurt badly as he continued down the black and hellish corridors which lead to the main chamber. He was vaguely aware of the trail of blood he was leaving as he rounded a bend in the passageway. His thoughts were divided as if they were light scattered by a prism. One beam of his intellect lay on the absence of his hand. He had read of phantom limb syndrome before. He could still feel his hand, though as he glanced down it was still gone. Another beam was however locked on what lays ahead of him. That excited him to no end. After so much planning and years of wait... it was time.

  
  


Beyond that door it would come to pass. The dark ritual which he had envisioned. Which he had set into motion through the planning he had so devoted himself to. His true ambition would be made real here. It was within this dark room that loomed before him where he would fulfill his destiny. It was in this room that he would surpass all others. It was in that dank crypt of a cathedral where he would ascend.

  
  


He threw open the door with his good hand. It was painted in his own blood and thus left a print. upon the handle. His stump bled more freely now that there was no pressure upon the artery. He wasn't afraid now. He would bleed to death if he didn't keep it pinched, but that would come too late. Death was not able to keep the digimon emperor from his prize. As he passed the threshold he breathed in the pungent stench of the room. It assaulted his lungs in a way that did not cause him to recoil, in fact he breathed in the vague scent of the thing happily. It was the smell of change.

  
  


He looked across the darkened expanse to find oracle ready and waiting. It hung there in its nearly human form with the same soulless expression upon its pasty skin. She hung farther out as the feminine torso slithered outward in a vaguely worm-like waist. Her lips were of black and tarish bile which stretched to the aspect of what human lips would look like, yet they bore no expression. She studied ken with the faintly glimmering amber orbs which functioned as the demon's eyes. It looked at him with what could almost be perceived as inquisitiveness.

  
  


"You are not all here." it spoke through the symphony of voices. Ken growled.

  
  


"That bitch lady Kamiya cut off my hand!" he growled as he motioned to his blood-caked wrist.

  
  


"The ring had to be sacrificed... this method of relinquishing it shall suffice to your aspirations." she replied coldly.

  
  


"Well the extrication code would have worked just as well!" he snapped as he reached for the top button of his black coat.

  
  


"The loss of your hand is inconsequential." she replied matter-of-factly

  
  


ken ignored her as he peeled off the coat then cast it away. He moved to his undershirt and pulled that away also. He paused to ask her a question as he stripped himself of his cloths.

  
  
  
  


"Is he doing it?"

  
  


"My sensors indicate the phase is in the process of stabilization." 

  
  


ken smiled as he continued stripping away his cloths. And once they were all cast aside in a disorganized pile he stretched contentedly. He looked down over his body; careful to avoid his stump of a hand. He studied each muscle of his nude frame as though it was the last time he would be able to do so. He bore a sudden sober calmness as he studied the aspect of the computer creature. She had been programed by him. Every move she made every gesture was there because he put it there. But now he wished he had uploaded something in it that made it more comforting. She looked at him with an insect-like stare. It was troubling and unnerving as she opened her arms for him in a manner that was not human in every way beyond the crude gestures of her pale arms.

  
  


Ken slowly made his way to her with several steps. He was not nervous about the nudity part of this, for that was mearly to limit possible variables to the process. It was not sexual as he walked into her arms but mearly part of the darkest ritual humanity would ever know. She closed her arms around him in what would mimic a motherly embrace to her sun. that was far off however. This thing could mimic the motions of a hug, but the comfort of it was far from there. Ken closed his eyes as he felt himself lifted off the ground by the rubbery arms of oracle's embrace. He was afraid as he was drawn deeper into the gaping jaws of the cancerous chrysalis from which the female form of oracle would emerge. He was pulled inside and then watched with anxiety as the slit closed over them. ken took a great gulp of air just as he was swallowed up in the shell of quivering flesh. Inside the flesh-filled hollow he struggled as the air he had previously tried to take in was used up. He thrashed violently within the thing as he felt his lungs burn. He was asphyxiating within the bowls of his creation. Minutes passed as his struggling slowed. He knew this was going to happen, but he was still human enough to instinctively fight it. His body would be dead, but the oracle would maintain enough charge in his brain to keep the mind alive. He would shed his body like a snake sheds skin in the ascension.

  
  


He became strangely calm as he felt his body die. It was as though his mind were pulled from the shell it had once posed dominion over. Now the puppet lay floating within the sea of flesh which had drowned him. The dead nervous tissue became vaguely aware of the thing's tendrils as they plunged into his dead chest. Probed inside his stopped heart. Explored the cavities within the dead emperor's body. They probed deeply into each aspect of his body with a sense of twisted curiosity. He was no longer afraid. Death kills fear just like it normally would take life. But that was no longer true. Ken was dead, and yet he lived. Through the electronic jolts of oracle his brain did not die. He stimulated the dead heart to spasm out the last blood he had into that fragile organ that holds all human thought. The oxygen was fading, yet through management it was able to preserve the organ.

  
  


And then, as the last fragment of the emperor hung there amidst a sea of blackened flesh the genesis wave hit. It washed over both oracle and himself as a great wave of strange impulses and new feelings. It began the process.

  
  


Ken's mind was now tethered to the dead boy and to the DNA compute simultaneously. He felt every sensation as bones splintered and re made themselves. His organs liquified and reshaped themselves to a form anew. No heart or lung existed in this mass of slithering flesh and twisting cable. They were new organs. New shapes. Pain had been reconfigured into the mind of the emperor as he felt his body fade away to a mass of metastasized flesh. It hurt more then he had ever known pain

to be capable of, yet though pain had returned fear was not present. He knew he could fear, because fear was a part of life. He did not however fear this change. He hungered for it. Longed for it. He felt his blood boil within these new veins as it underwent a chemical change that he had never known it capable of undergoing. His brain dissolved into the mass of flesh, yet his mind remained. And then as every cell of this new form was reconfigured his mind changed. It too merged into a mother-mass of its own kind. A mass composed of its brain coupled with the mind of oracle. The two intellects swirled together as they merged to some new consciousness. Some new existence. And then as the two became one it ended. Leaving only a mass of white flesh which hung there upon the Stoney cathedral floor. 

  
  


Like a seed it began as a single fragment of life, yet it too began to grow. Much faster then any tree it became. From the grain of life it spawned new roots of white flesh which slithered across the floor of the cathedral and entombed the ken-thing inside the dank temple. The roots of this demon seed stretched outward through each stone as it felt its way through life. The tendrils broke out into miniature versions of themselves as they grappled to every stone of the building's interior. They continued to build off one another in a great web of slithering appendages. Then, they began to slither through the next room and the next until the entire cathedral was some living structure where the ascension would proceed uninterrupted.

  
  


The thing's mind was busy orchestrating the drastic actions of the roots, yet once that was done it's mind turned to the next thing it needed. Sustenance. And thus it sent it's tendrils outward through the soft soil underneath the cathedral floor. It knew what it wanted. Who it wanted. And with a horrific speed it was able to find the cadavers of some of the four. It found kale first, and then impaled her with the snake tendril, pulling her down through the floor and back to the demon mass. Where it consumed the last lingering traces of her soul from the tasty flesh that Sora had left behind. The next was Sephiroth, who was ripped violently from the pole in which he hung dead upon. The great heaving pull ripped his side out as the creature chose to pull him from the pole instead of guiding him over its top. His flesh was devoured and his soul absorbed. The creature found Dayus, yet when it tried to couple itself to his soul it shrieked outward and threw the corpse away from itself. The moral's soul was dead beyond dead. It was in torment never capable of being worded. Just to touch that mind nearly killed the creature. But thankfully it had enough from the first two lords. It had enough sustenance to proceed with the next step.

  
  


Its mind was now called to a new task. It needed a purpose. Yet it soon remembered that reason for existing. The faces of it's enemies became clear. Sora..... Taichi.... digimon... human... all were recalled with the new mind. It would take them. swallow them and absorb them. it would grow through them and become one with them. soon everything would become one with it. It could feel a fit of laughter inside itself, yet was disappointed by the silence. It became aware that it could not laugh because it had no lips, mouth, vocal chords, and lungs. It did not need them to survive, but it did to laugh. And thus it began to grow new faculties from the gelatinous mass of white flesh. Its will to be was what pushed it to grow outward and make itself in a new form. Ken's mind was now a part of it. And that mind had dominion over the form because oracle was not capable of emotion or life. The minds were made one and thus it was irrelevant to say one was ken's and one wasn't. It was the thing's mind now. And it used that mind to shape itself to the form it wanted. And then it grew.

  
  


Flesh twisted on flesh as the sinewy tendrils knitted themselves together to form of a more human shaped muscle. It gradually began to take a vague shape of more human features with the faint resemblance to arms and legs. The mound that would become its' head began to shape to a more familiar continence, then from that mound the flesh rippled outward in the creation of two spheres of mirrorlike appearance. They were perfectly smooth and devoid of all emotion. No retina or pupil, just the mirror reflection which shimmered with a cold demonic radiance in the blackened room. The eyes were devoid of humanity, of emotion, of soul. He could see beyond eyes, hear beyond ears, and feel in a way that no human could comprehend. The pain pulsed through him as he changed and became more and more... divine. His own words reverberated through his evolving mind. " Birth is always painful."

  
  


He found it strange to experience all these new sensations. To know that he could still feel hatred, pride, even irony. It gave him new enlightenments to what he was. But that line was still not clear. He knew what he wanted to be, but also knew that he was not there yet. He looked to the wall of slithering flesh, and with a thought the cancerous flesh parted, revealing the stained glass mosaic that hung in the far wall of the once great and beautiful church. The image was a vague one at first that troubled the emperor-thing. A man in white robes... accompanied by things that looked like angemon and angewomon. He was vague in the creature's memory but he was recalled. 

  
  


beings of many names: 

  
  


Allah, Messiah, RA, Yaway, Zeus, Buddha, Gaia, Odin, kali, beli mawr, Oberon, rugaba, ratu-mai-mbula, zanahary, quetzalcoata, the great spirit, he who has no name, shishigami, Seth, Moro, Satan, and Jehovah.

  
  


Oracle was made of thousands of human and digimon neural patterns. Each of them had merged together into a great matrix of thought. And among those thoughts were those of a being known as 'god.' almost all religions of the human world had some form of deity. A god... they were very different in both appearance and actions. They ranged from the benevolent god known as Jehovah to the malevolent fallen god of hell, Satan. As the creature searched the minds locked within the matrix of thought he came to a realization. As the thought pulsed through his becoming flesh; his face split open into bile-blackened lips. Beyond them he felt fangs descending as he took the shape he wanted for himself. The pain came again, but this time brought him pleasure. He licked over his fangs with a slithering black tongue.

  
  


"You failed them...." he hissed through the voices of the stolen souls that inhabited his matrix of data. His voice was both theirs, and not theirs. It was almost a hiss of reptilian origin, but no snake could make that sound. It seemed more of insect origin as he continued. As you would expect the hiss of a spider to sound like had the arachnid been fifty feet tall and still growing as ken now was.

  
  


"Do you hear me? You failed them god. You hide from them, trusted them to make the right choices... they were unable to do so! You failed them, and now I will rule. I will ascend beyond all that is!" his hands erupted into hooked talons.

  
  


"I will take them all from you! Every last one! I will destroy you god!!" the cathedral began to pulsate with the slithering flesh.

  
  
  
  


"I AM GOD!!!!!"

it roared with each of its voices in such a shriek that the stained glass window exploded outward in a rain of many colored glass shards. The scream of defiant rage against the gods of man turned to a roar which quaked the earth with trembling spasms. The cathedral's quivering suddenly turned more violent as it exploded outward in a rain of stone and glass, the womb of white slimly flesh was shed in that defiant roar then assimilated back into the entity that bore no name. It continued to howl out into the heavens as it's roots of white flesh stretched outward during the final phases of its ascension into godhood. The skies burned with blood red as he continued his ascension. Gone was the form of man... gone forever to the form of a demon god. The pain was throbbing as he stretched and changed. Perhaps the old god was trying to claw at him, stop him from his trek to becoming the true god of this new world. He roared outward in a feral howl that was laced with laughter at the pain. The old god was so weak if this sting was all he could do.

But as ken finally rose up to his full demonic glory a thought rippled through his mind. What if god had one weapon left... One agent in the last great battle against the coming of the data god.

Perhaps god had acted through ken in the creation of an archangel armed with the power of the god of the old. Genesis. Perhaps that angel of the old god of earth and the digital world would be their savior. Perhaps that savior had come in the form of a dark angel. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  


"What the hell was that!?" Davis gaped as the roar faded away lightly. His eyes were wide as he glanced to Sora and then to tai. They had dark looks on their faces as their hands found their weapons. Taichi drew his dark blade while sore grabbed a sub machine gun from izzy. They were still as a pair of statues as they listened. There was a moment more of silence before the call sounded again, this time closer. Davis turned to Kari only to find her standing by Takeru with a look of dread on her face as she tried to protect the wounded knight. She was afraid. No, terrified.

  
  


"Kari.. What is that?" he whispered in a voice of growing fear.

  
  


"Do you believe in god Davis?" she replied coldly without addressing the question directly.

  
  


"Yeah... I guess..."

  
  
  
  


"Then you believe in the devil...."

  
  


"Yeah.."

  
  


"Whatever that is.. It's something like that..."

  
  
  
  


Tai sprang to life as he quickly glanced to Sora, she nodded quickly as she turned to the crowd of people around them.

  
  


"All non combat certified dawn members guide the civilians to the fallback position. Move fast!

  
  


All dawn members with a combat ranking, I want you here now. Full flanking positions to the north. Sharp-shooters and any non close-quarter fighters take position on the southern field of the arena. Get into position quick!

  
  


Close combat fighters, I want you here with us now! Whatever the hell it is it's going to be coming at us from the north, I want you in melee format B. remember, wait for your captains to sound the attack. Captains.. You wait for my say-so. NOW!

  
  


Joe, Mimi you take some soldiers and get the wounded out of here!

  
  


Izzy tactical!

  
  


Kari, Davis, you're with me and Tai. 

  
  


Cody.. I want you on the northern wall. We need to know what the hell this thing is. Once you see it, get the hell back here! 

  
  


Yolie, get to the southern front, try to make radio contact with the digimon forces. I have the feeling we'll need them for this fight. Tell them to disregard the fleeing imperial forces and regroup here!

  
  


OK, EVERYONE MOVE!!!" Sora barked orders with a calm strength about her that Taichi was surprised by. He had known she could lead them if he was gone, but he wasn't aware she could lead with such skill. As she turned back to him the group of people that had congregated around her snapped to attention. Mimi quickly ushered the crowd of onlookers with her to aid the wounded in their fleeing of the current threat. Soldiers marched into position in the most dignified rendition of a scramble possible. They hid it well, but they were scared. Taichi could feel that. Sora on the other-hand had a strange calmness about her, sure she was afraid, but it was a different fear that held her. she was not stricken with terror by the demon that howled into the heavens and now began descending closer to them. instead her fear was rooted by being so close to free, then to lose it all. She was afraid for them.

  
  


Cody descended the Stoney ruins of the arena with a series of well placed jumps. He was by far the fastest of them all due to his years of training. As he reached the top his gaze fell out of the panoramic landscape of darkened buildings which were blackened by the fire. The blaze was roaring around the entire northern and western fronts leaving a forest of burnt skeletal trees and frameworks for some of the buildings who were crushed and devoured in the blaze. He felt these hot updrafts as they wafted over him in their upward climb to the darkened skies. His eyes were dry and burned in the black smoke-filled winds. By sheer force of will he continued to stare out into the vast horizon of fire and stone. There was nothing more then the darkened frames of buildings which were illuminated more heavily by the faint glow of the fire which seemed to stretch for miles. Nothing was looming within the artificial night. All was still save the roaring fires. Nothing moved. Nothing. He was about to turn, yet just as he was turning back to Sora he caught the faintest whisper of movement from the corner of his eye. He spun around to see it.

  
  


All was still.

  
  


He waited another minute - half convinced that what he had seen was more result of the hot wind on his eyes then it was of actual substance. Something moved again. It was low to the ground and appeared skiddiest. But it did move. It began moving again, either oblivious to the ninja's gaze or no longer fearing him. A building suddenly crumbled nearer to the thing. Pushed over. The stones from that toppled building danced angrily on the grounds as if they were Mexican jumping beans instead of stones. They shivered upon the ground for an instant, then leapt away as if flung by some invisible giant.

  
  


"What do you see Cody!?" Sora called.

  
  


He turned to her. "not sure... nothing visible as of yet." he called back

  
  
  
  


"Sora.. I am detecting movement out there." izzy warned with a grim tone.

  
  
  
  


"Where?" tai questioned

  
  
  
  


he looked up from the screen to meet the older boy's eyes.

  
  


"Everywhere..."

  
  
  
  
  
  


"CODY GET BACK HERE!" Sora cried out as she tightened her grip on the weapon.

  
  


"I can almost see it...." he muttered as he stared at the stones which were now quivering in fear. Whatever it was it was moving under the ground. It was everywhere. A sea of slithering stones that shuddered in terror at the coming of the black thing that glided under the sands. It was so close now, and Cody felt compelled to see what it was. To know what the demon thing was. 

  
  


"CODY NOW!!!" Sora called with a hint of fear as she cast a quick glance to tai. He was ready to run for Cody, scoop him up and run like hell. They could feel the thing now. It was under them, all around them. the earth was shuddering in dark and slow movements that were perceived as breaths. The stones that had broken off of the coliseum now shivered like the other stones had before. It was closer now. Getting closer. Surrounding them. cutting them off within it's hidden coils.

  
  


"CODY?!?"

  
  


It appeared. It lashed out in several tentacles that lunged up from the shadows of the stone at Cody. His eyes widened in horror as he shrieked out in terror at the thing that he caught the faintest glimpse of as it tried to seize him. He was so swallowed by panic that he could only think to do one thing. He screamed.

  
  


Just as the tentacles were about to make contact a new creature leapt forward from the glowing wall of fire. It came at Cody fast. It was half running and half flying as it leapt into the air with a great reptilian roar. Its blush black flesh was a dark blur to him as he felt the new thing make contact. It was fast and strong as the boy felt himself seized in a pair of scaly claws that almost burned him. Whatever the thing was it had been hiding within the fire. Now it had him in its clutches and before the boy could react he felt himself pulled with the thing into the air. He wasn't sure if he was flying or jumping, just that the ground he had stood upon was now alive with sickly white flesh that squirmed on it like a plait of nightcrawlers. They were changing even as they first made contact with the stone, sensing there was no longer any flesh standing upon the Stoney outcrop. The tendrils of white fleshy worms began to grow together in a great clawed hand.

  
  


He landed several feet behind tai and Sora with a catlike grace that mystified the young boy. He was afraid. Now he clutched the demon that had saved him from that white flesh. He didn't open his eyes for fear he would see a set of fangs close over him. That the strange creature was not in fact a secret benefactor, but instead another animal that wanted to eat the boy first. The fangs didn't come. He felt leathery wings close over him in a strange embrace as a thick reptilian snout nuzzled the side of his face. It was holding him to itself with a strange paternal feel. He opened his eyes to find himself staring into a pair of glowing amber eyes.

  
  


Davis paled. "Grendle....."

  
  


The wings opened wide as the arms deposited Cody upon the ground. Safe. Grendle stood upright with a look of defiant power upon him. He was bigger then the data files had indicated. He glanced down at Cody and then to the soldiers who had surrounded him. He bore his fangs hatefully as he hissed at them. they drew back. He glanced at Sora who was staring at him with un-surety as to his loyalties. 

  
  


Taichi was the one to walk up to him. Grendle hissed. Taichi smiled. Then with a quick gesture opened his hand to him. Some of the soldiers trained a weapon on the dragon's skull knowing full well that tai's arm could be bitten off with no more then a moment's delay.

  
  


Grendle chuckled with a reptilian hiss as he took the hand.

  
  
  
  


"Grandpa? You're... you're you?" Cody staggered with the words.

  
  


"It would sssseem I am unable to join my own kind... too human." he rasped out as he helped Cody to his feet.

  
  


Their attention suddenly returned to the thing. It had formed a great white taloned hand upon the ground where once the assassin had stood. Now that hand was gone, vanished away. But it was still here. The stones were begging to tremble more fiercely.

  
  


"What is that thing!?" Davis gaped.

  
  


"Isn't it obvious..." Kari stated darkly.

  
  


"No it isn't... enlighten those of us who cannot see the future ok?" he snapped.

  
  


"It's my brother." tai said blankly as he stared at the trembling stones..

  
  


"But ken wasn't like that thing... he did something to himself then...." Sora trailed off as Grendle spoke.

  
  


"I wassss the emperor'sssss bodyguard... though he never knew it, I did follow him all the time. Even when he didn't want me there.

  
  


Ken had a computer that wassss alive. Made of living tisssssue. It was able to know thingssss. Thingsss that would happen if he did certain thingssss."

  
  


"Probabilities." izzy said blankly

  
  


"He called it oracle. This thing ssssmellssss like both that computer and himself."

  
  


"Taichi... you said genesis was the power of creation. The power that lets digimon digivolve." he paused.

  
  


"What if the second phase was somehow able to digivolve him. Like a 'Jogress' or DNA digivolve if you will. Something that allowed him to merge with this oracle."

  
  


"It's my fault...." tai whispered softly as he watched the shivering stones.

  
  
  
  


"Our fault..." Sora replied softly

  
  
  
  


the silence of the moment was broken by TK as he snarled at joe with his sword pointed directly at the young physician's face. Joe looked at him with both shock and worry as the weapon remained trained upon him.

  
  


"What's going on here!?" Sora growled.

  
  


"TK refuses to be evacuated with the rest of the wounded" joe replied.

  
  


"Please Sora.. I have to help." he begged.

  
  


"What can you do like this TK? You can barley hold that sword. Much less use it."

  
  


"Please.. Just give me a gun. I have to see this through to the end." he whispered as Kari stood next to him, then turned to Sora.

  
  


"Please... let him do this." she said softly.

  
  
  
  


Sora stared at the two for a moment before casting a quick glance to Taichi. He was staring through them with the black eyes of the genesis. A look of stone and determination hung over his features as he met his sister's gaze.

  
  


"Give the kid a weapon. Prop him up against the southern wall." he ordered, Sora motioned to two of the soldiers authorizing Taichi's command.

  
  


"TK... we won't be looking out for you. If you die, it's your choice." he replied gravely as the young boy nodded in agreement.

  
  
  
  


"Taichi... it's time." Kari spoke in a low and spectral voice as here eyes filled with silvery light.

As the words left her mouth it began. The stones which had once trembled in fear now were spasming in seizure as the ground screamed in a mixture of horror and agony. With an explosion of stone and debris the ground on the northern front exploded outward in a rain of stone and sand. Several of the men shrieked in horror as the demon descended upon them. it rose up from a nest of snake tendrils which writhed and wiggled around the mass of solidifying white flesh. It knitted itself together before them as it took the shape of a somewhat human torso. It was far from that of a man however. The thing's center was marked by a large translucent lens of glasslike substance. Beyond that window of clear flesh pulsated a thing of blackish red meat. It may have been a heart, but it didn't look like any organ that had ever been witnessed in any anatomical chart ever drawn. With each pulse its solidity changed from a solid organ to a black pool of tarish bile.

  
  


Kari's eyes widened as she saw the thing take a more intimidating posture as it would seem bones took to a solid form. It was human in some aspects but utterly alien in others. It had a vast assortment of blackened spines on various portions of his armor skin which was the color of curtled milk. It was the tone of paste or plaster cast into the form of a imposing god of death and plague. It's nude frame was well defined with muscle, yet the muscle was lost to its grim aspect.

Its arms were growing outward from that torso as stumps, yet after they had vastly exceeded the perportune of human limbs the stumps exploded outward. From the nubs of flesh five claws erupted. They were long and white. Far longer then the normal fingers of a man, each of the skeletal digits was adorned with a wicked claw that reached far and hooked as the talons of bird of prey. But these were not the hands of a bird man. They were the hands of a demon.

  
  


It roared outward in a chorus of voices which caused many of the soldiers to cover their ears. It cried out with rage and hate in a all consuming screech of darkened ferocity. The sound was mingled with that of bones as they popped into place and knitted themselves to flesh. The thing was somewhat insect like as it continued to stretch out more and more. The demonic claws stretched out in a fearsome display that horrifically was not a threat and more a stretch. The head grew next. It was the face they recalled as that of ken. Though it bore no great emotion as it gradually took form. It had long hair, though not hair as we know it. It had a hood like that of a cobra composed of the same flesh that covered the rest of his body. The flesh had formed itself to appear as hair before turning to a solid concrete-like mass. The eyes opened slowly to reveal mirrors in the shape of spheres. It gazed down on them malevolently as its newly formed lips curled up in a deep and hellish grin. 

  
  


The thing's waist was stretched long to the point where the legs faded into the trunk of a great tree of entangled flesh and cable. It seemed to grow up from the earth as a massive plant with the emperor's twisted incarnation as a star which would sit upon the highest bow of a Christmas tree. It appeared for a moment that the thing would be stationary. Bound to the earth with the same force that holds an oak to the hillside in which it grew. This was sadly not the case as the trunk of the hellish tree turned to the coils of a serpent so large that it could swallow the earth as an egg. It continued to grow upward and bigger until it looked ready to bridge the gap into heaven; hen tear it down. It howled out into the red sky with a demonic roar that strangely pulled upon them all. Called to them with the same mournful allure of a lone wolf as it howls out into the night.

  
  
  
  


"Dear god...." Kari gasped as she stared up at the thing that now loomed before them in its silent inquiry to them all.

  
  
  
  


"Greetings...." it spoke in the voices of a sea of men and women and digimon, yet the voice of ken appeared most distinguishable from the mass. 

  
  


Taichi stared at in horror as he painfully uttered the one word that was born of both sorrow and disgust. "Brother?"

  
  
  
  


"Hello Taichi... brother." it chorused out without the use of its lips.

  
  
  
  


"What have you done to yourself?"

  
  
  
  


"Ascended...."

  
  


"To this? A demon?"

  
  


"Demon? Heh... I am a god now." it scoffed.

  
  


"A.. God?..." Kari gaped.

  
  


It drew its claws to the heavens which began to swirl as a maelstrom of black clouds and red skies. The effect stretched across the horizon as all creation began to tremble before the god of the digital. Thunder screamed in the skies as the thing rose up higher still into the skies.

  
  


" THE GOD!"

  
  


"I was born of data and flesh. United as one. I am the god of all gods, for gods are given power by men. By their faith in those gods. Man made god for purpose. He failed them all! I am a god of my own creation. A god of all things.. Of life and death. Of organic and inorganic." he snarled into the heavens with a defiant roar that caused the skies to scream with thunder.

  
  
  
  


"YOU ARE NOT GOD!" Taichi roared in a voice that dwarfed the god's with a thunderous roar. All eyes fell upon him with a sudden fear as his eyes burned with black fire. The long chestnut hair now danced with demonic fury in hot winds that swirled against him. His body seemed to radiate with a dark power that seemed more from hell's deepest pit then from heaven's origin.

  
  
  
  


"All that is shall be one with me brother. All the life of this world shall be assimilated!!" he roared.

  
  


"Assimilated?" Sora questioned meekly.

  
  
  
  


The god suddenly exploded with tendrils of the same white flesh that streaked outward upon them. Sora spun into action as she and izzy each drew up their machine-guns. They begin showering rounds of hot ammunition upon the wall of tendrils which much to their relief did cut through the tendrils. As a tentacle was cleaved from the mother mass it fell to the earth with a sudden lack of life. They fizzled away into a pool of milky fluid where once they had wriggled. However as each of the tendrils was cleaved several more exploded outward from the god. Its whole body seemed alive with motion as thousands of tendrils began ejecting outward. The burning dawn countered with more fire. It lasted like that for several minutes until one of the tentacles made contact with a young soldier's leg. It seized him quickly and pulled him up from the ground and back to the mother-mass. He screamed in horror as the tendril melded into his flesh. He spasmed for only a moment before his eyes clouded with cataracts and the breath left his lungs. Sora stared in horror as his body began to shrivel in the thing's touch before the bone dissolved to fluid and was consumed within the thing. With less then a moment's elapse all that was left of the young soldier was a pile of discarded cloths and a weapon which fell to the floor without firing a shot. They stared in horror as the tendrils re-joined the thing.

  
  


"He is a part of me now. His body and soul are now one with mine. Such will be the fate of all life on this planet. It shall be one with me. It shall become a part of me and assimilated into the matrix of life which flows within me.

  
  


Now tell me... who's next?" Sora stepped forward with a snarl of rage as she begin unloading a spread of fire into the creature's torso and head. It didn't appear phased even as the rounds of machine-gun fire obliterated all that once was a face. Sora cried out in hate as the thing's skull was collapsed inward on itself. The weapon screamed in her hands as izzy followed her lead and began unloading shells into the creature. After several minutes of continuous fire the two stopped and stared at the god of data. It's head had been blown away and it's chest was hollowed out by fire. Yet the moment the fire had subsided the bone and flesh began to rebuild itself with frightening speed. With less then a minute's delay the thing was whole again.

  
  
  
  


"come to me Taichi... join with me. Be one."

  
  


"Never!"

  
  


"You were made to do this tai.. To be one with me. Brother in blood and soul."

  
  


"NO!"

  
  


"Sora will be a part of me.. And once you join inside you will be a part of her too. Not just joined in body, but merged in soul. In essence!" the creature tempted.

  
  


"I won't let you take her!"

  
  


"Tai.. How can you fight me. I made you for this. 

Tell me you don't feel the need to do this with me."

  
  


Tai began walking forward to him.

  
  


"The freedom of becoming......"

  
  


he drew closer despite the horrified glances of Sora and the others.

  
  


" to answer the call you have been hearing inside your soul...."

  
  


He was close enough to touch the god of data as it lowered itself to him.

  
  
  
  


"To be one, united..."

  
  


They were now face to face. Sora screamed his name in horror as he stared into the mirror eyes of the god.

  
  


"You can't resist me brother... 

my blood flows through your veins!!!"

  
  


Tai stared into his brother's eyes as he gingerly touched the pale face. It was cold to the touch, could like death. He smiled sadly to Sora who was staring at him in terror. He opened his mouth to address his brother.

  
  


"SO DOES MINE!!!!"

  
  


Taichi screamed into the thing's face as he took hold of the god's head and summoned the force of the genesis. Ken tried to pull back, only to find he was too slow. As the words exploded from tai's lips his hands erupted with a black beam of light which screamed as it tore through the god's head. White flesh splattered against the floor as a rain of milky fluid that had once been skull and flesh. It screamed through the voices of each of its captive souls as the twin beams moved from Taichi's hands down the demon's torso. It shrieked in pain as it felt the black fire cut it down to the waist. The creature's insides had no organs that were recognizable. The thing's insides slithered and churned as it began to wriggle upon the floor. It was bleeding black blood as it's body lashed out violently. Taichi was caught in the mid-section by the creature's hand. The impact threw him back several feet where he tumbled at Sora's side. She threw her arms around him as he spit up blood. The thing hit hard enough to crack ribs.

  
  


They glanced up at it with fear as the god of data wriggled on the ground, it was split in half for part of the way, yet it was still alive. Already it had began the task of regenerating itself. Sora suddenly called out the order to attack as Taichi staggered to his feet. The genesis was already repairing the damage to his ribs. The burning dawn sprung to action with a chorus of gunfire and war cries as they charged the demon god. He was almost whole as they met him. Swords slashed deep gashes in the white flesh, yet it was starting to regenerate faster each time it was cleaved. The newly created god was beginning to grow stronger. The revelation hit tai like a wave of nausea as the thing became more and more capable of using the abilities of this new frame.

  
  


Sora unloaded another round of fire into the writhing mass of putrefied flesh. It pitched over lightly, but the injuries were far less notable this time. The wounds were healing at a far more elevated speed. Sora stared at the thing with a sudden wave of fear. It was a god. She had seen many things in her life, many powerful digimon and dangerous men... but this thing seemed to dwarf all other evils of both digital and human origins. She believed it quite possible to be a god... at least until she could classify it as less then that pinnacle.

  
  


How often do you see a god brought down by a human? Is it even possible? Sure genesis was perhaps capable of wounding ken. Maybe Kari's sorcery could strike a lasting blow also.. But swords, guns? What could they do against a fledgling god. Sora looked to the burning dawn with a growing sense of urgency. The thing was getting faster in its' regeneration. It was becoming more liquid with the attacks. It would meld itself back together faster and faster. It was elevating to the point a bullet would simply ripple within its' white flesh and vanish within. They would have to keep it down. They couldn't allow it the tine to regenerate to the level of being intact. But what would that honestly serve? Delaying the thing. If it truly was a god then they were laboring for a goal no more feasible then pushing back the sea with no more then your cupped hands. She turned to tai.

  
  


"Is he a real god?" she asked with a sudden haste.

  
  


"I wouldn't build any temples to him, but I have been hit by a lot of very bad things. This guy has officially beat that saurian in the arena." he shook his head slowly as he un-blurred his vision. "If there is anything godlike about him it would be his right hook." he joked grimly more on reflex to the seriousness of the happenings.

  
  


"Sora... we can't fall back. Can't give it a chance to get any stronger... No running from this thing." he cut her off sadly as he cast a quick glance to the burning dawn soldiers. They were fighting hard, but with each passing moment the writhing -split- god was rejoining. Grendle snarled with a sudden snake 'hiss' as he leapt upon the thing. His claws had stretched outward like a cat's can extend - though his were capable of much greater contortion. He began swiping at the god's treelike roots. With fast and violent ripping gashes. He screamed in a rage as he began biting too. Some of the burning dawn soldiers paled as they watched his jaws rip out huge chunks of white flesh then regurgitate it out before repeating the process again. His claws were ripping great gobs of the liquefying flesh away also. It seemed as though each piece of the things' body was alive only while connected to the whole. Once it was separated from the core of the creature it would turn to some putrefied puddle of white fluid that had once been flesh. The thing was snarling back at Grendle, not through it's lips ( blown off with the rest of its skull) but through the thing's body itself. It was as though every cell of its body could be called upon as a speaker on a stereo.

  
  


Grendle had clawed his way through half of the split left side. It was obvious he had caught on to the thing's only apparent weakness. Though it was a small and minute weakness at that. If you cut a part of the thing's body off the part you cut off would die. As before stated, Small weakness. That was not even a possible cure all. The thing may be able to generate new flesh. In that case chopping off an arm would do no good. But it was all they could think to do. Grendle was using his savage strength in Tandom with the mind of a planner. His rage was directed as opposed to blind.

  
  


Yet as his claws dug deeper into the wriggling mass of demonic flesh the creature known as ken snapped outward at him. 

  
  


From the twisted attachment of flesh which had been Grendle's goal to separate from the god a clawed hand erupted outward with a suddenness that blind sided the preoccupied saurian. He yelped suddenly as he felt himself both ripped away and also seized within a tight grip. The hand was far bigger then he, and thus was able to close around him with little effort. It squeezed. Grendle shrieked.

  
  


"GRANDPA!" Cody choked as he watched the last fragment of his grandfather seized within the clutches of the newly born hand. He felt the pain as it rippled through his tough hide. The pressure was mounting to the inevitable point where his thick ribs would splinter and crack. The soldiers of the dawn had been joined by that of the empire in a strange truce. Perhaps they were now fighting for redemption in the eyes of their fellow man when the sovereign they had once served now hung forward in demonic glory. His goals clear. More likely however it was that they feared this incarnation of some digital equivalent of Satan. They attacked along with the burning dawn, yet they were ill-matched to deal with the thing much as the dawn was. Now all soldiers of both origins turned and stared as the fearsome dragon was now wrenched from the earth and held aloft in a crushing grip which mirrored the claws of fear and shock which held them tightly.

  
  


Sora studied the situation for a moment before choosing mercy over vengeance on the former lord. She used the sudden relative silence to call out to them. She yelled with all her lungs and put all her strength to projecting the words with an air of calmness as well as a great disciple

  
  


"Everyone! Take aim on his arm. Fire a wide spread directly into the joint of his forearm, we need to cut the damned thing off!" as she spoke the words were accepted readily by her soldiers and followed by those clad in the empire's insignia. They fired together in a sudden chorus of automatic weapon's fire. It sprayed the thing's arm with an explosion of white fluid and flesh which liquified upon separation. The thing's arm was hanging by a thread of tendon when Sora fired the final three shots with such accuracy that the thing was cut away with the first slug. The arm fell - complete with Grendle- to the earth below. It thudded upon the ground as the dragon suddenly summoned new strength. He roared as he bit down over the skeletal white fingers which were softening to fluid. The bite was enough to crunch through liquify hollow bone and sever white flesh.

  
  


Cody's eyes burned with hate as he suddenly leapt forward. With a series of fast jumps he was to the creature, then with a speed and precision never quite distinguishable as that of a normal human he began running along the thing's mass as though it were a slithering rode. As he ran he chopped at it. Cutting tendrils and soft skin as he ran up the slumped over torso. He chopped off a part of the arm and then cut a quarter through the forming neck on the right half of the white mass. He was on the verge of finishing the cut just as the ground he stood on came alive and threw him off like a toy. He was propelled airborne for a time as the thing's body erupted in a wall of worm tendrils which wriggled as they jetted out to claim him. He arranged himself for a controlled landing as he relied on fate to save him from assimilation. Fate came in the form of genesis.

  
  


Taichi leapt through the tendrils with his sword outward. It cut through a portion of them effortlessly yet was snagged by the next dozen. Sora opened fire on the mass and was able to free him. He landed at the thing's base with some loss of balance, but only enough to wobble him as he evaded a new set of tentacles. He jumped left as izzy suddenly broke right. The tech officer was fast as he allowed the tendrils to veer more closely to another moral of organic food. He smiled just as the things were on the verge of taking him. Then with a quick toss he sent several blackened spheres into the thing's writhing gullet formed of the tendrils which swallowed up the grenades with no thought to what they were. He chuckled softly as he leapt to the left dodging one of the serpentine appendages.

  
  


"Upload this." he smirked as the grenades exploded with a sudden burst of flame and electrical current. The tendrils were blown off in a splash of black tarish blood and white murky fluid. The thing pitched backwards away from him as it twisted in a deep and guttural shriek. As Taichi landed several feet to the left of him he couldn't suppress a smile to the smug strength that the boy he had once called friend now wore.

  
  


"Stupid move techno boy." he quipped.

  
  


"I take after my leader I guess."

  
  


"I'm not your leader anymore"

  
  


"Didn't mean you... Sora has become more like you every day." he grinned.

  
  


"God help us all" he smirked as he turned to the thing. It was at bay, bleeding and the regeneration was held at bay by the calculated and planned out actions of each of the soldiers. Maybe they had a chance after all. The thing erupted upward again with a suddenness that pushed tai from his thoughts. More tendrils, much more. They came at them like a tidal wave of white slithering flesh. It hissed at them again.

  
  


The moment was shattered by a sudden explosion of burning light. It incinerated the tendrils with a sudden flash of golden light. The thing shrieked once more as the fallout of the blast eradicated more of the massive demon god. Taichi spun his head to the source only to find the form of war-greymon in shimmering silver armor. He stared down at the thing with a certain element of disgust, yet as he turned to Taichi his eyes widened lightly. He stared at the resurrected form for a time. Their eyes meeting in a silent examination of the other. Old friends... fellow warriors... family reunited... 

  
  


Taichi smiled darkly as he leapt to his ex-partner's side. The digimon held out a strong clawed arm to act as a support for tai as he landed on the limb. They nodded in union as war-greymon offered a clawed hand to tai. The older boy smiled softly as he took the single claw in his hands.

There was a world of hate around them. But as the two stood together as they once had. There was also love.

  
  


"I didn't know you human's could be re-born like we digimon are in primary village." he stated in his deep and guttural voice.

  
  


"I guess this was a rare circumstance. You ready to do it like we did in the old days?"

  
  


"Definitely... but I brought a few friends... seems we all are in the mood for a little action." he gestured behind him where there waited an army of fully digivolved digimon. Each was staring intently upon war greymon as their leader in these times of trouble. Taichi awed at them for the first time as he recognized the partnered digimon to the digidestined. But the sheer numbers of this army constituted seemingly thousands of digimon each ready for a fight for the last traces of the digital and human. Each ready to take back the world they shared with man. To push back the night. They were a sea of digimon. Each unique and powerful as they massed together in a sea of claws and wings. The skies were darkened with the winged brethren to the ground based digimon. But as Taichi stared at the procession of digimon he noted new faces. Saurians now stood with them. Clan warriors growled ferally as they looked to the bubbling form that was reshaping itself. The humans marched to join the procession. Each wore a look of strength and determination that transcended species and genre. It was a look shared by all life as it looked to the god of data that looked to end all life within itself. He was moved as he stared at the faces of old friends intermingled with faces of both Imperial soldiers and completely alien faces. Taichi gave a smirk as he turned to Sora who now stood atop phoenixmon's multi-plumed back.

  
  


"Day of destiny?" she muttered as she stared into his deep and stormy eyes.

  
  


He smiled.

  
  
  
  


"What about it brother!?!" he yelled. "Ready to pay for your crimes?!?"

  
  
  
  


in response to Taichi's words the demon mass exploded upward. It had healed completely in the brief intermission. Now it stood before them with a almost human expression on its pasty face. The mirror eyes gleamed down on them as it too them in. Studied them. It shrieked as it stretched farther skyward. The low hanging clouds now were pushed aside as it roared in a insect hiss of rage spoken through the voices of the damned souls locked within. It threw its arms out to its sides. As they moved the claws extended to a more demonic elongation. The barbs on its body jetted out more as the thing became far more menacing in appearance. It's eyes seemed to focus on them all as it snarled in ken's voice.

  
  


"This is my destiny! All life shall become me. I shall be salvation to all existence within myself." he glowered upon them.

  
  


"The life on this planet is failing to achieve its destiny. You all are! I shall grant you redemption in me! I am the one true perfect life. Thus by absorbing you I will cleanse your faults within myself. All shall be made clean as you join me in perfection. All life shall be one. United. Make ready your souls children of the old. I have come fore your souls!"

  
  


"Don't we have a choice in this 'evolution' bastard?" Sora snarled up to him.

  
  


"No.."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  


Kari stared into the glowing light that seemed to swallow her up. Her mind was swelling with a new line of thought as she began to speak. Their eyes fell upon her as she floated upon the ground on currents of translucent light which held her several feet aloft. Her eyes were white as she allowed the voice to speak both to her and through her. The soft tendrils of chestnut brown hair glided around her as a cloak of flowing tendrils. TK stared at her with a strange compelling desire to hold her. All were staring at her, even the demon god looked upon her with silence as he witnessed the power she held within. A power that he must classify, then destroy. But still, he listened.

  
  
  
  


"I am the first...." she spoke through her phantom-like voice.

  
  


"The first what?" Sora asked.

  
  


"First of the lineage of the divine. The first sorceress."

  
  


"Why are you speaking through Kari?!?" TK chirped with a hint of fear in his soft voice.

  
  


"I am speaking through my child. For I am her mother. Though I did not bear her physically she is no less the child of the sorceress. I speak through her as a means of communication to you, children of Eden."

  
  


"Eden?"

  
  


"I will explain all to you now as you stand upon the threshold of this moment in history. This world is now both digital and organic. As are you.. all life has been restored. Once in the beginning there was one world. A paradise. All life was both digital and organic. As it was meant to be. It was called Eden. But due to the evilness of life it was split in two halves. One was the earth, the other the digital world. These two were never meant to be divided, and thus the planet cried out in agony while it remained divided. It has been restored through the actions of the chosen." she spoke softly as the light filtered around them.

  
  


"Digidestined?"

  
  


"Somewhat. There is a god of the earth and once there was one of the digital world. As the digital world shadowed the human world there once was a god of the digital world. He was divided into three halves by the evils of the digital world. The constant siege of wars which had ravaged the digital earth for far longer then man was capable of war bred hatred. And hate can kill all things. Especially a god of love and peace. The digital god was split by this hate. Divided into himself."

  
  


"But.. Why wasn't the earth's god destroyed like that. Or was he? We have war here on our world too." TK spoke softly as he regarded the sorceress incarnation.

  
  
  
  
  
  


" yes, you still have a god of your world, though the hate has weakened him to a whisper. He is eternal, yet vulnerable also. The digimon have existed far longer then the human race. They had more time to destroy their god. Though I should mention humans tend to hate more then digimon. At this rate your god will fall to hatred also." she digressed.

  
  


"As I was saying... the god of the digital world was divided in three halves. I am unable to comprehend fully what these halves truly are because I am not a god myself. The sorceress is however close enough to come closer to comprehension.

  
  


Think of the three as the day, the night, and the twilight. The three halves of god.

  
  


The day represents the goodness. The act of love and creation. The mercy of god. Basically it's all the love he had for the digimon and the digital world.

  
  


The night is his darker side. The destroyer. The side of god that smites the evils and sins of existence. This is the side that judges the guilty and dispenses justice to them...

  
  


The final is the most important of the three. Twilight. It is the moment where both day and night exist between eachother. It is the balance of the two. This fragment of god is the tie that binds the good and evil in harmony. The light cannot exist without the dark. But they will war against one another without the balance.

  
  


These three halves of the digital god were divided from one another and given new form. They were sent to the earth. Given the form of human life. Each of the fragments was made human. Born as a human. Each of these three would play a part in the final union of all existence. The re-creation of harmony."

  
  


Sora's eyes widened in shock as she spoke with a soft voice of soft quivering words.

  
  


"Three humans were made from parts of a god?"

  
  


"You above all others would know that Sora. You are one of the fragments." Sora's eyes widened in shock as the faces of the digidestined fell upon her. She stared at the entity that was both Kari and not Kari. 

  
  


"I'm a part of a god?"

  
  


"Yes. You are the fragment of day. A piece of the love god holds for all his children. The one you know as ken is also one of the three. He is the fragment of night. The darkness. The side of god that destroys annihilates. And the final piece of the lost god is." she was cut off by tai as he spoke sharply to her.

  
  


"Me right.. I'm the twilight?" he looked ill as he studied his hands with a sense of disbelief.

They looked so human. He was on the verge of arguing his place in this destiny. He could see ken was the darkness, that part had always been a part of him. And Sora was the most kind and loving of them all.. She could fit as the day. But he had a serious doubt there was enough good in him to constitute a balance between good and evil.

  
  


"Taichi... look at your life. You are the balance between good and evil. You love Sora. She is the woman you bear a bond too that death could never sever. A bond so powerful that it transcended all things, even before your resurrection.

  
  


You also love ken. He is your brother. You love him still, inspite of all the evil he has done, you still want him to be your brother.

  
  


Taichi. You are the essence of a balance between love and hate. Good and evil. Light and dark. You walk that road through life. That is why it was destined for you to receive the power of the gods. The power you know as genesis. It was given to you so you can make right all that the warring two have done. Without you to act as the balance between them there will only be evil in this world.

  
  


All life depends on you Taichi Kamiya. If you can calm the storm of hatred that now rages then there is a hope for this world. Through you there shall be a balance of good and evil. The god of the digital world is gone.. He can never be reborn from the three, even if they join together in unity he is gone. But you are, in a way, demigods now. You have the power to save this world from evil. From hate. From a future without hope." she spoke gravely as she studied him through the eyes of his sister.

  
  


"How could I bring peace to this.. I have never been a peace maker.. All I do is kill what is trying to kill us. What can I do?" he replied meekly as he looked at the towering demon god.

"It is not my place to know. All I can say is that this artificial god will bring an end to all balance. He is the night fragment, he will always be that. If all life becomes one with him there shall be no future. God will be destroyed as all life becomes a part of the darkness. God will not fight for you. The gods of mankind are eternal. They simply change. They could never be destroyed. The god of the digital was simply divided... not destroyed. Though god may be so omnipotent as to not care about his own form... he is interested in this fight. 

  
  


Mankind has a dark history of abandoning good for evil. Evil is easier to achieve, also its rode has more easily seen rewards. This battle will show the true nature of goodness. It will show if good has the power to fight evil. If mankind are worthy to survive. Consider this a test Taichi.... who's side will you fight on? The side of your lover or your brother. Good or evil. And can you achieve the destiny? This is the test tai... can you lead these people to peace." the light around Kari began to fade as she slumped to the ground with the sorceress' final words: "It has begun..." 

  
  


the light flickered and then died away as Kari was returned to consciousness. She could recall the words spoken through her. the implication of those words. The three fragments of the digital god now were at war with each other in a battle that exceeded all previous wars. The three were above mankind, beyond it. Each of these fragments was ruled by the shard of godhood. In some chaotic way it made sense. Ken had always bore a darkness, a cruel strength that was commonly known to them through his acts of war against mankind. He was a creature who's core was wrath.

  
  


Sora was always the lightest of them. she bore a great and overpowering love for all things that mirrored outward from the jagged remnant of the nameless god of the digital earth. She was goodness given human form. and as Kari took in the flaming hair and soft skin of the girl she had known since childhood she was astonished that she hadn't considered the possibility that Sora's heart was donated by a benevolent god. It seemed so... believable.

  
  


Tai was what frightened her most. She feared him beyond the pale demon god ken had ascended to. Taichi was different then him. He was both good and evil pushed to such heights that his actions could rain down upon them as meteors thrown from the heavens. His heart was divided by a war that was begun with no end. That terrified her. he was the most powerful weapon ever to exist, and he existed as a wildcard. He was capable of siding with evil just as well as he was with good. And that choice may not be one they would recognize right off. The road of love and hate was a rode often diverged upon by mortal feet. Could Taichi be truly responsible for the fate of this world. Could he truly be held accountable for the balance of good and evil. And the question resounded further within her mind and heart. To which side would he belong?

  
  


Their eyes were upon him with looks of question. He was expected to lead them. to lead humanity to these new ideals of peace and balance between the two forces that existed within all humanity. He looked back on them with the expression of utter silence. He didn't let his gaze fall on Sora, for he knew he would be able to offer any solace. She had just learned what Taichi had always felt about himself. He was not one of them. not human. She had thrived as a human, though she was far from human. He had always known he wasn't one of them. a subtle feeling. Like being vaguely aware of a dream as you interact with the shadows of thought in your sleep. He knew there was more to him. Something that was beyond the species he blended into. He longed for humanity, but knew it was beyond him. He knew what he was. And what he must now do.

  
  


With a swift jump from war-greymon's arm he was able to land between the two opposing forces. The slithering mass of white flesh glowered down upon him with a darkness that flowed through every neuron in the twisted shell of wriggling tendrils. The thing was getting more hideous with each moment. It seemed to revel in the fear it could generate through alterations to its body. It seemed to prefer a more human appearance on the upper body, though that occasionally rippled with change as the creature's patience dwindled. It wanted to achieve its goal. That goal was not the restoration of balance. It was not a mission of peace. It was a mission of ascension achieved by consuming all life into the matrix of white flesh.

  
  
  
  


"You heard her! Brother, if we end this war now we can achieve the destiny we were meant to achieve. If you proceed in your plan to absorb all life we will be forced to stop you." his voice was darkened considerably to a level that Sora could barley consider. Her world was crashing around her as she stood before the burning dawn. She wasn't real... never was... it hurt her to think of herself as imitation human. Her mother was never really hers. She was not bound by blood to that woman, she was mearly created within her and made in the image of a child Debra Takenouchi would have had at one point in her life. She wasn't real. It was all a lie. But as she looked back over them her heart hardened to self-pity. She was not human, but they were. They were truly real. Truly meant to live in peace. She could do this for them. fight for them so the real humans could flourish in this life that they were so blessed to receive.

  
  


"I WILL NEVER SURRENDER TO YOU!! MY PLACE IN GODHOOD SHALL NOT BE DENIED!!!" the creature roared as it became clear the war was beginning. She understood why the fragment of ken clung to godhood so tightly. Perhaps he longed for the past existence as a god. The power that truly only came from a god and could find no substitute as a man. He would cling to the demonic incarnation without relinquishing it. He would not give up this place, this power. And thus Taichi would be called upon by fate to make right all that was wrong.

  
  


Taichi turned to the armies of good with a look of detachment as he spoke two words in a voice devoid of mercy and kindness. It would seem the darker side of him was now in control.

"Kill it..."

  
  


As the words left his mouth each of the digimon roared out in a battle cry that merged together in a great wave of rage. The buildings trembled violently as the digimon roared outward with a tide of sonic wrath which reverberated through the rib-cages of the humans. The living god of demonic flesh seemed aroused by this call of wrath as he too chorused out in an equally ferocious hiss of a roar. The thing's shriek clashed against the roars of the digimon in one great clash of sonics. The human bystanders were forced to cover their ears in agony as the sound grew louder and more enraged it was almost a relief when the digimon charged it for that ended the roars.

  
  


They clashed in a massive tide of fire and explosion as Tera-force exploded outward in shards of golden energy. The fires swelled as Sora's original digimon - phoenixmon - released a wave of ruby flame upon the thing. The crimson flame attack was devastatingly destructive to all living tissue. As it collided with the demon god the flames exploded upon him. They began burning through the creature's flesh, yet they were fast to be extinguished as the flesh turned to liquid upon destruction.

  
  


As reply to the attacks the creature exploded outward in a swarm of tendrils which gushed from every piece of his pale and twisted flesh. The tide of tendrils were getting faster and more numerous. It suddenly became clear to them that the demon god was getting better with his new form. it was as though they were battling an infant god, and now that infant was growing up.

The serpentine coils suddenly chose a target. The army of digimon and human partners were composed of great variety. One young soldier bearing the burning dawn's insignia was hanging away from the procession. 

  
  


He was dressed in black on black with leather chokers around his neck and arms. His hair was the same shade of black you would find in a can of shoe polish. He was on the skinny side, with little muscle though the grim aspect of his decidedly gothic look was an intimidation. The burning dawn took all types. He was originally partnered to a virus digimon, and though the partnering of digimon to human was now unnecessary due to the first genesis phase, the partnered digimon still bore a loyalty to their human. The tendrils of white flesh shot tword the human boy with a sudden ferocity. It wanted to absorb this young soldier. The boy screamed as they made contact.

  
  


The tentacles didn't make contact with him however. They were intercepted by the body of myotismon. The boy had been partnered to a bakamon, and later a myotismon due to digivolution. The fearsome virus digimon had leapt into the path of the coils. His blond hair shook violently as he was thrown into spasms. The thing was absorbing him. He was clawing at the coils with his inadequately sharp fingers. The gothic boy was betraying his atheistic nature by frantically pulling at the digimon all the while frantically crying out prayers to god to save the digimon. His prayers were answered as Sora stepped forward and with a quick gash from her saber severed the tendril. The vampiric digimon slumped backwards to the arms of his partner with a weakened expression.

  
  


"Get him out of here!" tai barked as he joined Sora.

  
  


"You have virus types like myotismon here?!?" he questioned her with a shocked expression.

  
  


"That myotismon is nothing like the one we fought.. I actually like him. Oh and we have much worse here.. We have everything from machinedramon to skull-greymon. They're hard to house-break but they do make useful fighters." she grinned as he chuckled lightly.

  
  


Their laughter was ceased as a tentacle nearly cut Taichi's head off with a guillotine slice. He responded with a blast of black energy which reduced the tendril to bubbling fluid. The tendrils withdrew back to the mass with a suddenness that surprised many of the attacking digimon. The tendrils re-formed arms as the massive creature paused for a moment as he reformed a more human continence. He raised his arms to the heavens before bringing them back down over the digimon and humans. From each clawed fist a whip of blood red fire exploded. It didn't call out the name of the attack, though it didn't hesitate to use the crimson lightning attack. Apparently the brief contact to myotismon had left it with his power.

  
  


The whips of red lighting crashed over portions of the army like a wave of death. Digimon and humans were incinerated under the red beams. Myotismon's attack was powerful, but it was now perportuned to the size of a massive data god. The surviving digimon attacked with each of their most powerful attacks. The creature was thrown back by the combined attacks. They leapt upon him in a massive melee of biting clawing and special attacks. The humans were suddenly roused to battle as they seemed to draw strength from their digital partners. Grendle and Cody had joined together as they assaulted the mass with both claws and swords used in tandon as two of the same skilled training could do. They slashed and cut along with others who brandished swords.

  
  


The sky was filled with the screams of guns and the cries of men and digimon as they were devoured within the white blob of flesh. The war was proceeding with great chaotic actions on the part of them all. The creature was being cut and severed, though it seemed to heal instantly after every wound. The humans and digimon did not however possess that skill. They were easily capable of dying from one volley of attacks from the fledgling god. Kari was in radiating with white light as she gave a sharp gesture with her hand. As she made the motion the sky was filled with lightning that rained down over him, pitching him back.

  
  


It was now clear that the god was going to win this war. With one tiny gesture, he was able to throw the entire swarm of digimon and humans off him. He laughed happily as he looked down over them. He sent his clawed hand down upon the ground in a deep horizontal slash. The cut threw up a wave of rock and earth over the fallen warriors. It wasn't enough to bury them alive, but it was enough to illustrate just how much more powerful he was. From the cloud of dust a solitary Garurumon leapt for him. He never made it. The demon god simply swatted it away with the clawed hand. The talons raked across him with an eruption of blood and gore. The animal yelped in agony for the one second before it was split in two. The remains didn't have time to land before the tendrils shot out to claim the two halves of the carcass. It swallowed up the bits and pieces with nauseating relish.

  
  


Taichi watched in horror as the thing that had once been his brother now proceeded to pick off more and more of them. he was far more dangerous now. In the hours that this battle had raged he had matured higher and higher into the ranks of godhood. The god was a hateful thing as it took more and more life. Those who once were on the offensive now frantically put their efforts to holding back a defense against the thing. A losing battle.

  
  


Sora hung next to tai as they looked out over the massacre. The screams found them as one after the other was absorbed into the writhing mass of white flesh. Sora had tears running down her cheeks as she watched another digimon crushed to pulp in the thing's grip. It was now more focused on killing them. apparently it could absorb the dead just was easily as the living. That terrified her as she watched the atrocity of the demon's forced evolution. He was hungry for more and more of the souls that now were trapped by their shattered bodies. Perhaps it took time for the soul to transcend death. If that were true they would still be held to their body as the god devoured them into itself.

  
  


"Tai.. They're my people... my friends.. "

  
  


"This must stop..." he replied gravely as Sora broke into a run tword the thing...

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  


it towered over Kari as she clung to TK. Her arm had been broken by a lashing blow from the thing's whip tendrils. She was in pain more consuming then she had ever known. Not as much from the arm's slow throb. The true origin of her pain was the knowledge that she would be absorbed. That her life would be tied to this thing's. She was on the verge of losing it all. Losing the future she had secretly longed for. A life with TK away from the evils. She wanted to bear his children. To bring forth another generation of the sorceress. That would not happen now. She stared up at the god of digital hell. It's body was a hell, a place where souls would be locked away forever. Where she and her Takeru would be sealed away. She held him softly as they remained silent. She was vaguely aware that Grendle was pulling Cody from the debris. The boy was either dead or un-conscious. She didn't presume to guess. Davis was crawling tword where Yolie had fallen. He looked more dead then alive. His face was pale and dead as he made his way to where Yolie lay clutching her sides in pain. Mimi, izzy, and joe were trying to pull survivors away from the rapidly approaching demon god. 

  
  


Her vision of the thing was suddenly blocked by Sora as the older girl stood between her and the demon of wriggling tendrils. She looked more godlike then the thing did as she stood there. Her hair was whipping violently in the wind as she began walking to the thing.

  
  


"Go to hell!" she snarled as she threw several grenades at it. They exploded within the creature, throwing him backwards. Another volley of grenades as Sora continued to push the thing back. It lashed out at her with its claw only to have the extremity shot off by a beam of black fire. Genesis was at her side now. The two continued pushing it back and away from the rescue effort. Sora continued lobbing grenades at it while tai was using the genesis to blow away anything that was about to attack them. he was struck across the face by a tendril. His stride was only slowed vaguely as the blood flowed from the side of his head.

  
  


Kari suddenly tried to croak out a warning to them. too late. From the left a series of tentacles snatched Sora around the waist. Before Taichi could react the girl was consumed within a nest of snake coils that served as the thing's skin. She screamed as she felt herself being burned and consumed within the forest of tendrils. She shrieked in horror as one tendril pierced through her right hand. The wound didn't bleed though it could get no more gruesome if she was painted in blood. She felt a similar sensation in her mid-section as she was sure the creature was impaling her again and again.

  
  


Taichi screamed in terror as he leapt into the nest himself. He began clawing and pulling at them as he dug deeper and deeper into the nest of pastey tendrils. They were choking him and pulling at him. They punctured his side as he continued to claw at where he caught a faint glance at Sora. He was screaming her name frantically. As he called to her he felt the tendrils filling his mouth. He bit down hard to cut them off and then swallowed the wriggling flesh so it would not be capable of re-joining the mass. He felt the need to vomit as another tendril forced its way down his throat. It was writhing as he fought through them. he may be killed, but not before he got to Sora. The tendrils were burrowing into his neck as he continued clawing at them. he closed his eyes to limit the odds of them worming their way into his skull. It seemed horrifically possible. Sora. He felt her there, she was clawing her way to him as he was to her. he opened his eyes only to find in horror that she was being assimilated into the thing. He screamed in horror as he began ripping the snake tendrils from her. he had some success there. He didn't care about himself. All that mattered was Sora. He began pulling her from it. He felt the tendrils that were attempting to anchor him to the thing snap with a gush of black fluid. He shrieked with rage as he clawed his way deeper out. Then suddenly found enough footing to push out.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Kari was wide-eyed with pure terror as she watched tai plunge outward from the mass looking far from himself. He didn't look like her brother anymore. He was painted with tarish black fluid as he slumped to the ground several feet from the god. His eyes were lifeless as he continued to pull the wriggling tendrils from Sora. She began mirroring the act on him by pulling the still moving tentacles from him. He looked close to dead as the slimy white appendages were ripped from him.

  
  


"Sora..." he wheezed as he vomited a black tarish fluid from his gaging mouth. Sora held him as he emptied his stomach upon the ground. He felt ill as he looked over to the demon god which hung above them like a skyscraper looms above street-level pedestrians. He was huge as his snake appendages coiled around the two. He had cut them off from whatever help they could find in the digimon or humans. he was everywhere. All around them as the ground slithered with him as though it were made of live snakes. The carpet of living flesh nipped at them as it slithered over their feet. The thing was going to kill them. to absorb them. there was no room for escape. No guardian angels ready to intervene on their behalf. All the future that awaited them was black with death and horror. Sora stared up at the thing as it loomed over them. she closed her eyes to blink away the tears.

  
  


"Taichi... I really do love you. It doesn't matter what happens next or even if we are real people or not. All that matters is that I will never stop loving you."

  
  


"Sora.. I love you too. Now and forever." he snaked his arms around her as they closed their eyes. They held tightly to one another as the creature fell upon them as a great wave of demonic flesh. They held to eachother as they were devoured whole by the mass of white and demonic flesh. They vanished into the sea of churning flesh and disappeared.

  
  


Kari watched with teary eyes as the horror swept over her. Taichi had just been killed. Sora too. Both of them were taken from her. she watched as the creature's mass rippled outward with struggle. Tai and Sora were not giving up. No escape. The thing stopped struggling as the ripples faded away and didn't come again. Kari screamed in agony as she watched the demon god take shape again over the place where Sora and tai had once stood. He was bigger then ever as he smiled down over them. he was rippling with power as he snarled in triumph. He laughed through a thousand voices sinisterly. The laughter reverberated over all ears as he rejoiced at his victory over the only two who ever had a chance to stop him. The three fragments were united. But not in balance. The night had swallowed the light away so that all there was was black tarish night. The future of mankind turned as black as pitch as Kari continued sobbing into the wounded TK's arms. He too was crying as he watched his brother and sister devoured by the white demon.

  
  


The thing's laughter was falling upon them all with a dark and sinister joy that radiated outward over all who heard it. The creature was delighting in the new power it had gained access to. It was now capable of wielding the genesis for both creation and destruction. It could alter this world as it wanted. It could devour all life with no question now. All would be one with it... the skies turned to a thick red. The same red as blood. Nature was cowering before it and thus it laughed louder and louder in a chorus of voices that sang out with demonic glee. The laughter hurt the ears as it grew in pitch until on the pinnacle of a high laugh... it stopped.

  
  
  
  


It suddenly spoke in a voice more computer based. Perhaps a fragment of the DNA computer who once was a part of it. The voice was cold and mechanical, though it did bear a sense of fear in the monotonous tone of the electronic utterance.

  
  
  
  


"WARNING... ProGRam CORrupTed! 

Data tracks violation detected. ALIen PROgraMMing INTerFErence...

COmpeNSAte! Compensate! 

Failure... failure...

program corruption progressing to priMARY SYStems. 

Failure... failure...

pURGE in PROGress! 

Failure! Failure! faILURE..."

  
  


The voice was panicked as it began running through defensive mechanisms to deal with the sudden assault to its' core processors. The machine side of the god was being attacked. It began frantically speaking in a chorus of voices and languages that were so panicked that many were forced to cover their ears. The voices were fluctuating with a secondary set of voices that were beginning to push past the frantic voices of ken and his subservient prisoners. The new voices were growing in power as the data god began to shiver in a reaction similar to the throws of terror. 

  
  


Kari stared blankly at the thing as the voices suddenly became clear to her. they were two voices speaking in unison. She felt tears coming to her as she listened with a sudden wave of hope to tai and Sora speaking through the demon god.

  
  
  
  


"Digidestined... children of the digital... humans and digimon... it's time. The final battle has begun and now it's time for you to fight the last battle for freedom. The final blow shall not be struck through a sword or a gun.. It will be struck through the hearts of mankind and digimon.

Only you can win this war...

  
  


To win this war you must be ready to fight for peace.

It won't matter if we give you peace... you must earn it for yourself.

All we can do now is tell you how..."

  
  
  
  


The humans and digimon began slowly rising to their feet under a strength they didn't know they possessed. All life seemed to focus on the quivering mass of cancerous flesh that was being used as a surrogate voice by Taichi and Sora.

  
  
  
  


"Don't rely on light.

Light is only half the solution, for without darkness life has no texture or purpose. 

To truly understand the road to life you must bear a balance between the light and the dark.

Don't rely on light.

  
  
  
  


Don't rely on hope.

To hold blind faith for something will lead you to failure.

It is not enough to simply hope for the best. 

We must make our futures ourselves with our own actions.

Don't rely on hope.

  
  


Don't rely on reliability.

The actions of the one are important

but one man cannot change the world alone.

Your actions cannot be made simply because it is expected of you

they must be made because you act from your own heart.

Don't rely on reliability.

  
  


Don't rely on sincerity.

the truth is important, 

but it can be just as damaging as a lie if not tempered with compassion.

Without empathy the sincerity becomes a road to pain.

Don't rely on sincerity.

  
  


Don't rely on knowledge.

Knowledge is crucial to life, 

but that knowledge must be of life.

Facts and data do nothing for mankind without a heart that is willing to use them

for the benefit of humanity

Don't rely on knowledge.

  
  


Don't rely on friendship.

in life we cannot rely on another for our own destiny

the friendships we forge may not lead us all to the same destination.

thus to cling to such a thing without the capacity to let go will lead us to a destiny not our own.

Don't rely on friendship.

  
  


Don't rely on courage.

Only fools are never afraid.

Courage is the ability to do what must be done inspite of fear.

To rely on it alone leaves you helpless in the face of destiny.

Don't rely on courage.

  
  


Instead... rely on love.

Love is the key to all things in life.

Through love we are capable of achieving all things.

To unlock the secrets of the crests you must use the love you have within your hearts.

Focus on this love and let it unlock the power within you.

A fragment of destiny that exists as the core of all life.

That's what genesis is...

The essence of destiny and creation united together in every living thing.

All life has a fragment of that power within. 

And if unlocked; it can be united to form a great power.

Our only hope is harnessing that power."

  
  
  
  


The procession of soldiers stared at the creature that was now fully fighting the possession of tai and Sora. The tendrils were bubbling as they hung there in suspension. The thing wanted to kill them all. Kill and absorb them. Taichi and Sora were somehow able to fight it from the inside. They held it in place as tightly as they could while the demon god snarled with rage. The evil and rage was being polluted by the presence of Taichi and Sora combined as one mind and essence. The two minds were able to cage the evil within for a time. The creature was stronger then anything they had ever encountered, but it was not so omnipotent that it was beyond resistance. Perhaps that was the real strength of the human spirit, the power to endure and use the stubbornness that apparently is inherent to the human species. Humans could resist the urge to be assimilated. Even from within the battle of Taichi and Sora against their prison caused the others to rise to arms and rebel.

  
  


The demon god had absorbed a vast number of humans and digimon. It had succeeded in swallowing them away within the darkness. But it had not taken two as powerful as Taichi and Sora. It was a foolish move on the part of the new god to assume he was so powerful that he could consume the two most powerful digital humans on the planet simultaneously. The two minds were capable of overpowering the gatekeeper and then holding the doorway open, thus giving themselves a way to keep the demon in between the two sides. He was struggling hard, but unable to break free. The door was shivering with rage as the demon god was held in the same void he kept his victims. They too were now fighting it. They held the demon for all they could as Taichi and Sora made use of the door... granting them some control over the creature. They used its voice to give the message to the destined. Somehow they knew the key to defeating the evil and gaining balance.

  
  


The demon god was thrashing violently against his captors. But he was unable to break free.

  
  
  
  


The destined stared out at the demon god with a sense of graveness. The words of tai and Sora were repeated within their mind. Thus each of them began calling upon the love they held most dear. TK and Kari drew upon their love for one another and their love for tai and Sora. Davis held Yolie tightly as he focused on the on the only love he had left. The love for the woman he belonged to. Yolie focused on Davis alongside her recently liberated family. Each of them followed suit as they focused on the love they had for another in their life. It was then that they came to notice the glow.

  
  


Around each of them radiated a ruby glow that wafted against them like colored smoke. They continued to focus on the love. Soon the ruby glow was joined by a golden mist that behaved the same as the ruby mist. The two colors danced together softly in a gentle interaction as a new spectrum joined the fog of rainbow hue. This time it was a pinkish glow that was soon followed by a yellowish hue. Soon the colors were swirling around them like serpents of smoke. They gently glided upon the air as soon eight colors became distinguishable. These spectrums of color danced softly on the wind as they drifted together in a sphere of light. The radiance blended together to a silvery light that was more pure then snow. This new light shimmered and danced with a feel of electricity to it as it crackled in the sphere of growing and pulsating light. The light was moving and throbbing like a heart of molten silver. 

  
  


The colors faded away so that all there was was the silvery sphere of silver which was orbited by a wispy white mist. The mist swirled against the sphere as cytoplasm swirls against the nucleus of a solitary cell. The pulsations of the orb grew more powerful and faster as the light from their surroundings began to pool around it. There was a change in the orb as a darkness invaded the light. It panicked them for a moment as they thought something was going wrong. But that fear was ended as the darkness did not overpower the light. The two swirled together in a strangely alluring harmony of light and dark. Then like a shot from heaven the sphere exploded into the core of the slithering white flesh of the demon.

  
  


The doorway suddenly became illuminated as Taichi and Sora felt some new force entering. The blast of energy made contact with them and exploded in a strange mixture of white and black fire. It hit with such impact that the two were thrown from the door. The fires of light and darkness swelled within them and around them as they were held fast to the ground within the prison of the demon god.

  
  


The gate was suddenly free, and with this new incentive the creature was more able to fight. It roared and lashed outward upon the souls who held it. They were overpowered by the thing and with one final effort were thrown aside, leaving the demon god free and in control again.

  
  


The soldiers were thrown back as the air became heavy and forced them away. The creature shrieked in rage as it reared up. The form atop grew from human to a more demonic visage with the speed of a the ocean as a new tide turns. And thus the white flesh rippled outward in the most demonic view yet. It was huge and terrible with fangs and spines that erupted from every aspect of its pale and dead white flesh. The scream was a scream of wrath and hate. It had been held back for a time. Imprisoned within itself. It was enraged by that prospect and now planned to pay back that misery on each and everyone the two souls held dear.

  
  


It slashed outward to the nearest of the potential victims. The girl it knew as Kari and the sorceress. It wasn't interested in a prisoner yet. It would let death dull her fight until it bore no chance of rebellion when he took her. all he needed was the faintest glimmer of power from the sorceress. That ember would grow to a blaze within him. And that way he would be given the chance to kill her. To make her suffer. To cut her into ribbons.

It lashed out at her and was within inches from her face when the claw was halted by a force he could not identify. The power held him tightly from every effort he made to kill the girl. She was staring at him with terror and question as to why the seven foot claws had not sliced her to bits.

  
  


It suddenly pitched back as it felt something wrong inside itself. The two souls it had previously battled, Tai and Sora, were fighting him again. But this time it was with a new force. A force that reeked of the genesis. But in a far greater magnitude. Plus. The genesis was contained within Taichi's body.. That was now absorbed. This power was coming from the very core of the two souls. 

  
  


It studied its hand. From the palm outward a small molten crack had appeared. It was unable to heal the wound. Unable to stop it. Behind the pasty flesh there appeared to be a core of white fire as the chasm widened and broke off in new tributaries. These tributaries flowed outward from the proverbial spring from which a river is born. These tributaries continued to snake outward at an alarming speed as the demon god his hand split into sections by the fissures of silvery light that burned as fire to him. He wanted to shriek in terror but found his voice could not come yet. It was held in his throat by fear. Can gods fear? The rivers of flame traveled down every aspect of his body as though he were made of glass and being shattered slowly. The image troubled him for it was happening.

  
  


He tried to heal himself again. Useless. 

  
  


From every crevice a beam of silvery light erupted as though he were a dirty window to the sun, gradually being cleaned. The beams of light exploded outward from his chest in a brilliant display. He was beginning to panic as the light begin to grow brighter. He stumbled backwards and unearthed a inhuman scream of terror. All watched as the demon god begin to splinter under the light.

  
  


He drew up his hand to his face only to watch it crumble into the fire, leaving behind nothing more then a smoldering stump that burned outward in a beam of silver light. It was screaming louder now as the arm soon disintegrated in an implosion of light. Next was it's other arm. Soon the beams began to grow brighter around the thing's chest. The doorway exploded in a sea of splinters and debris as the prison's wall crumbled under the source of the light. 

  
  


They watched with astonishment as the rib-cage exploded outward in a beam of great light. From that core three forms leapt to the ground before them. tai and Sora were consumed in the strange light. Yet as they leapt from it their forms came into clear view. They were bathed in black shadow. Though the form of Sora was more visible due to what astonishingly appeared to be wings composed of flame. These massive angel wings were not of fluffy white feathers and downy, they were made of golden-red flame that branched out in the form of great fiery wings. If not for her face she would look to be an angel from hell caught ablaze. But her face was different, stronger and with eyes of molten light she descended before them as an angel with a heart that glowed golden within her chest. They could see the fragment of the digital god now a golden shard of him that was more beautiful then anything they had ever known.

  
  


The next figure had wings of black fire that vaguely resembled those of a raven. He was glowing black as he descended before them. his face was pastey and white with eyes that were both made of mirror and pitch black. They shimmered like the nightly waters of a still lake. His chest was also radiating with light, though a blackish one. It glowed and churned like an exact opposite to Sora's. He landed and was still beside Sora as the third descended upon them.

  
  


This one had no wings. His eyes and chest glowed in a radiance that words could not explain. It was a new color to the spectrum of reds greens and blues. He was glowing with a radiance that was both darkness and light as one. He was the most intimidating of the three as he stared at them. Kari recognized her brother yet could say nothing to him. She simply stared as all the others were. He disregarded them and turned to face the demon god who had his heart ripped from his chest. The creature was still vaguely alive, though consumed by the loss of the parts that were once parts of itself. It reached for them with a series of tendrils . Taichi stared at it and suddenly lifted off the ground as he flew to intercept it. The thing grabbed for him - sensing he was once assimilated.

  
  


He drew his arms to his side slowly as he gazed up at the thing with his glowing twilight eyes. He then brought his hands forward in a strange gesture. The instant he did the creature shrieked as the fragments of itself splintered away like embers in the wind. With one gesture from the boy who was part god the demon was reduced to ash and sparks of ember as though he were caught in some great wind that incinerated and blew apart.

  
  


He dropped to the ground with a thud as he landed on his haunches. He rose slowly as he turned to the two 'angels' with a look from his eyes they collapsed upon the ground. The wings of gold and shadow faded away as did the radiance of the fragments. His gaze traveled up from them to the heavens and then back to the faces of those who witnessed the act of killing a demon god. With a sudden flash of twilight the glow left him. He staggered lightly, yet did not fall. His black cloak rippled in the wind as he walked to them.

  
  


He lifted Sora up in his arms and smiled softly at her. he kissed her chastely on the lips before calling Grendle to him. The dragon obeyed without question.

  
  


"You take her... she's alive, just unconscious."

  
  


He turned to ken. The boy lay upon the ground shivering in a cold that only he felt. He was still part of the data god. His skin was still the same pastey complection, though he looked more like himself. His hand was gone again. Taichi looked to him with a silent debate as he lifted the sword to his side. He looked down at the shivering frame with a sadness.

  
  


"You won brother.. You won..."

Taichi nodded as he stared into the sapphire blue eyes of his brother. They were the same eyes he had before, though now his face was different - similar- but still different.

  
  


"Go on Taichi.. Kill me." he smirked as he continued to tremor with cold. He was now capable of using the genesis. Capable of becoming the demon god again. He shivered as Taichi had once done after using the power of the gods.

  
  


"DO IT! 

I'll never change!

I'll come back to kill you if you let me live!" he snarled hatefully despite his trembling.

  
  


Taichi tossed his sword aside with a metalic clank. He drew up the tie to his cape and undid it. With a soft fluttering sound he threw the clock over his brother to warm him. Ken stared at him with questions as the boy offered him the cloak for warmth.

  
  


"Don't worry... birth is never an easy process." he said softly

  
  


And that was how the final battle ended. Not in blood or death. But in a simple kindness born of love for a brother. It was not the end. Not by far. There was a world of hate out there. And ken was still the essence of a vengeful god after all. 

The demon was not destroyed.. Mearly set back. 

The empire was defeated and freedom now given a new chance.

  
  


But the wars were still far from over.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


******Are we gods or are we men?**

  
  


**Mankind has endeavored to ascend into godhood.**

  
  


**We can create great wonders and beauties through art, as can god.**

  
  


**Through medicine and science we can preform miracles, as can god.**

  
  


**And we can use nuclear weaponry and science darkly, as can a vengeful god.**

  
  


**But as we ascend higher and higher into our artificial heavens...**

  
  


**Are we ready to be judged for our actions as gods?**

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Not The End.....**

   [1]: mailto:logan91235@aol.com



	10. 

Disclaimer: I do not own tai and Sora and all the other characters here. Whoa.. It's actually finished. I am kinda in shock over the fact that I actually finished genesis. This story leaves itself open for a sequel, and though I have no plans to do one for it thus far, I do like to leave my options open. This chapter is very short compared to my previous ones. I would like to apologize for that, but I really don't know how to not do that. I don't write to fill a certain number of pages. I basically just write until I am finished with the idea. It's something I am not sure if I'll be able to fix or should fix. It kinda falls into the style of the writer I guess. Kinda like I describe everything.. It's just the way it comes out when I write.. So the story does turn out a bit wordy. Trust me I know it is... -_-'

  
  


well I really hope you enjoy the last chapter/epilog to my first series: Genesis. Well I'd say that I don't think it came out good, but frankly I am starting to fear for my life every time I say it so.... I won't. ^_^ I hope you like it.

  
  


Mail me at: [logan91235@aol.com][1]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_Genesis_**

  
  


**_10_**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


By Logan

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


******"The End Of The Beginning"**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Sora awoke slowly as she felt her senses come to her. she had been held in a dreamless sleep for two nights and even as she awoke now the slow dull pain of tiredness hung upon her. her soft eyes were still closed delicately as she surveyed the surrounding background noise. There was a faint hail of laughter and mirth from across the expanses of the cool air. There was the soft lull of music on the wind as a vague acoustic melody sung from flutes and violins that were hovering in the darkness of the evening air. She could tell it was evening by the gentle cool upon the wind and the vague scent of torch fuel that would be used to light their way. That was due to the power outage after ken's demonic rampage. The torch fluid was not the only scent she could detect through the cool night air. There was an earthy scent upon the wind that she noted to belong to Taichi. She reached over the bed groping for him. He was only a warm impression within her pillow.

  
  


She had been asleep sense the final battle with ken. She had woken only briefly to assure Taichi was still with her. he had always been there until now. She was troubled by his absence in an irrational manner that made her apprehensive. She forced her eyes open and was delighted to find the room dim enough to not hurt her eyes. She scanned the room for tai. Not there. Then she paled upon noting that his things were gone also. The black cloak that had been laid delicately against a chair was now gone. No sword or armor. But there was a neatly folded sheet of paper laying upon the table that filled here with more silent and guttural fear then if it were a blood stained shirt..

  
  


She flew to her feet with a suddenness that aggravated her sore muscles and threw her to her knees upon the wooden floor. She didn't have time to wake slowly. The note meant something bad had happened. He was gone. Leaving her. she stumbled forward with three awkward steps as she made it to the door of the cool adobe dwelling that apparently had been procured for her. she reached the door without contemplation of the situation. She was now piloted by instinct as she cast open the wooden door with a fast and wobbly push.

  
  


The world beyond blossomed before her hazy eyes like a flower of a endless spectrum of color. Most of the colors were purples and blues that came from the vast and rich sky above. It was beautiful as it stretched outward with the most rich turquoise range. It looked as Arizona appears just as the sun sets over a long and stretching mesa. The earth was painted with vibrant reds and oranges. It had a jubilation about it as the impressionist strokes of color danced together in a celebration of liberation from the efforts of a tyrannical god. The torches stretched far-off into the rapidly encroaching night like a sea of fireflies might swarm together in a great mass of flickering golden jewels against the sapphire night sky. She listened to the laughter mingle with the music that she had heard before. It was now more crisp and clear as her mind was assaulted by the sea of multi plumed stimuli. That laughter warmed her in a way no blanket could ever dare to endeavor upon. It was a carefree tune that carried high into the heavens. Had it not been for her current panic she would have stayed to listen.

  
  


She wiped the sleep from her eyes as she pierced the crowed that for the most part was unaware that their leader had risen from her sleep. She saw men drinking merrily as they chatted to old friends and young girls who were adorned with white dresses and pink flowers in their hair. She saw the elderly as they watched the celebration with a silent relief that they had lived long enough to see the human race free of slavery. There was the sound of children's carefree laughter as it blended into the conglomeration of a thousand sounds that could bring more joy to Sora then anything else. She didn't stop to listen to the sounds or allow herself to look over the smiles. She was looking for one person in particular. The only person who mattered to her.

  
  


She found him tword the back of the crowd. He was wearing his black cloak around him like a shroud. The hood concealed his face and hair behind the dark fabric. He was dressed for travel through the desert. He kept his sword at his side as he favored a long and dark staff with a steel ball bearing at the staff's summit. Several tendrils of chestnut hair escaped the hood and danced in the nightly winds. He was closed away in shadow with only the silver edging of the full moon to illuminate him. He was built for the night, and thus was easily lost within it. However the eyes that searched for him were intrinsically capable of finding him. Almost as though it were a psychic bond between them. he turned to face her, for he knew that she would be there.

  
  


He wore dark goggles to accommodate desert travel in conjunction with a scarf over his nose and mouth. As he studied her through the darkened lenses of the goggles he pulled them off to look her eye to eye. Sora stared at him with sadness as she looked into the dark pools of his eyes. They were strange. There was a shadow of longing as he stared at her, though it was clear that he was being pulled away from her by some great force. They remained locked into the other's gaze for a time as Sora felt her eyes bubble over with hot salty tears. She wanted to call him back to her, beg for him to stay. But no words could escape her trembling lips.

  
  


Tai stared at her a moment longer before pulling his goggles up over his eyes and returning the hood to its position. He didn't look to her again as he turned and began walking away into the darkened expanses of the night. His silver inlayed features vanished away into the cool winds of the desert landscape to the southern front of the imperial city. Sora drew up her hand and prepared to call out to him. Instead she found herself mearly staring off into the night where the one true love she had in life vanished.

  
  


"Sora?" Kari questioned as she stepped beside her.

  
  


"He's gone..."

  
  


" I had a feeling he might do something like this. Are you ok?"

  
  


"I'll only love one person in my life... but.. Tai has given us a world to protect now. Tai would want us to fix this world, to make it right." she stared off.

  
  


"But Sora.. Why leave us? Couldn't he have helped?" Kari questioned.

  
  


"Tai has his own agenda. His own path to follow. I had hoped he'd let me walk it with him though. Don't worry Kari... he will never be far." she spoke the reassurance more to herself then to the younger girl. Their conversation was ended as several men began cheering Sora's name with a great bellowing roar of adulation. She smiled softly as she turned her gaze off of where tai had once stood to the crowed of people who were now cheering their savior.

  
  


Elsewhere Taichi smiled softly behind the dark fabric of his cloak. He ran across the desert with a sudden determination and strength as though he were a vessel upon the sea and destiny was filling his sails, guiding him. He ran hard as he felt his body radiating with a glow of genesis light. The power of creation had been given to him. It was his place to put it to good use. To make amens for the evils of the demon prince of the empire. As he ran his mind drifted back to the face of the girl he loved more then life. The girl he was running from. 

  
  


"I will give you this." he muttered softly as the stars shimmered ahead with the faintest whisper of hope upon the black tides of the heavens.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  
  
  


The months following ken's defeat came to be known as the great resurrection. It was a time of renovation and rebuilding. Mankind was left in chaos after the empire was brought down. The second phase of genesis had changed all life from organic and inorganic. Life was somewhere in between the two now. And in that uncertainty came fear. And from fear... danger.

  
  


Medicines were rendered useless for they were either remedies for computer systems or for organic structures. There was an outbreak of fearful diseases and viruses that plagued both digimon and human life. However due to the combined actions of the burning dawn specialists (joe and izzy) and several imperial scientists new techniques were developed that brought an end to the threat of plague. 

  
  


The new landmass was also a issue of debate. Without the empire to dominate mankind's territories there was a mad rush for power and land. This was quelled once again by the burning dawn. Sora had spoken eloquently to the public on the dangers this created. 'Ken had been able to dominate the earth so easily because it was divided in itself. Had there been one unified nation perhaps we could have countered the first assault and spared ourselves the pain and hardship of being conquered and put into bondage.' through Sora's eloquence and beloved nature she was able to guide them to a temporary truce while the world was in repair. It was agreed that no nation shall attempt sovereignty until the new earth was safe of self destruction. Then it would be handled with diplomacy and compassion.

  
  


Also humans and digimon were different now too. The merging of digital to organic had left each man and animal stronger and more powerful then ever. Some used this power for peace and goodness while others used it for darker ambitions. As before there were both good and evil humans and digimon. Now they were simply stronger.

  
  


Some of these humans were consumed by the same plague that had cursed humanity in the past. The disease of racism. Some who once had worn bed-sheets and murdered in cold blood were now against all digimon and digital humans. These were the most feared by Sora for the worst of a species could cause irreparable damage to the peace between two. She had consolidated forces to wipe them out, yet was beat to the punch as their entire headquarters was wiped off the face of the earth. There had been no survivors. Only a sketchy eye-witness report of a lone figure who came at them with the fires of hell and wiped them off the face of the earth. It had lasted only a moment before the building and its occupants were nothing but soot. The figure had walked away without a moment's hesitation at the idea that he had killed over four hundred people.

  
  


Sora had come to know this figure through reports worldwide. He was called the traveler. Seemingly because he always came and left only long enough to dispense graphically violent and godlike wrath upon those who would do evil. Sora knew who he was of corse. Knew it before the account reached her desk. He had been sighted over what once was France, china, America, and all over the globe. He was fighting a war that only he could comprehend.

  
  


There were those amongst them who longed for the old ways. The empire had been dealt a major blow; quite possibly a fatal one. But it was a repeated concept in human history that the seeds of evil are difficult to eradicate. Though the empire was gone there were those among the people who hungered for a revival to the darker days in which their demonic god would be returned to power. These cultists were always present in the backdrop of the violence that periodically erupted on the fragile peace they had fought so hard to procure. The world was not free of evil. The world was simply fighting against it with the freshly emblazoned fear that the empire had given them. they all remembered the fear they each knew through ken's dark aspirations.. It was that remembrance that made them so ready to accept Sora's guidance.

  
  


The world came to depend on Sora more and more to show it the correct way to grow. She was always happy to do so. She was everything they had hoped of her. a kind woman who understood their hardships and was always capable of fixing a problem. Sora had come to be known as the great peacemaker. She brought hope to the people with her flawless morals and inspiring speeches. She led her group well in certain controlled battles to eliminate potential threats much as the 'traveler' was known to do.

  
  


The burning dawn retired their name. Burning dawn was a term of vengeance against ken. Now they used a new name for the special operatives who worked as preventer of violence. They became known as keepers of peace, or more commonly: 'keepers' they were responsible for finding threats to peace and eliminating it before it had the chance to grow to the level ken had grown to. Their efforts were a struggle, but they were able to maintain peace for the people.

  
  


All the while Sora guided the people to the correct solutions as she began the arduous task of expunging ken's evils from this world. She worked hard to create a more fair justice system then the endless stretches of crucifixions and shallow graves that bore ill reminders to darker days. Sora had personally led the attack on Dayus's hell. She had used several mega digimon to reduce the structure to rubble. Burning it forever so the earth could slowly take back the hellish place and make it clean again from within the earth.

  
  
  
  


Life was hard but good as the year slowly rolled by with no word from tai. Sora was hurt though she never showed it. When the night rolled down over them like a silken black tarp she felt the full longing in her heart. She slept in the old palace. In tai's bed. She found herself crying softly against an article of clothing that smelled of him. It was as though she could be with him in her sorrow. As though if she cried hard enough she would be capable of drifting into a dreamless sleep where they could be together. The others knew how she felt despite their distance from her.

they had split off to keep the peace in various regions, though TK and Kari always remained at Sora's side. They felt her pain more profoundly then anyone else could for both of them loved tai too. They all longed for his return.

  
  
  
  


The year was filled with many joys and many frustrations as the fight for peace continued to be waged with one skirmish after the other. The nights were hard for Sora as she longed for tai. But time does move even when you are miserable. The year was at it's end as the anniversary approached. It was the anniversary of the final battle against the empire. Sora had mixed emotions about this anniversary. There was so much she wanted to forget about it all, so much so in fact that she considered not going. But she couldn't allow herself to miss this anniversary. To not honor those who had given their lives for this day. She would go, for if nothing else the off chance that he would be there.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  


He hung there in a silent calm that rivaled that of the dead. Perhaps he was in a way dead, though he was unarguably alive. The creature remained still as he loomed behind the translucent shell of his prison. It was a prison not of stone and iron but of crystal and ice. It looked almost beautiful from the outside - shimmering happily as light pooled over the glittering shell entombed with insect-like appendages of bluish steel. The structure looked arachnid as it remained anchored to the platform in the center of tear's point. 

  
  


The waters churned around the structure as if they were hungry for the demon. The waters of this landmark had been used in the past as a prison for evil. Thus it had been made to one once again. The entire burning dawn complex had been remodeled to a vault for one special prisoner. The cell was designed with great care by izzy. It was strangely both beautiful like a sculpture and frightening like a crypt. The icy core of the thing was surrounded by arachnid tendrils that hung it there like a frozen tear that had gradually turned to a crystal. Within the shimmering silver of the core there hung an ominously human shaped shadow. It was held in a fetal position though there was no innocence to it as there might be to a newborn in a similar posture. This was a child of evil.

  
  


The structure hung open upon a extendable catwalk. That was mearly inches from the tides of the normally placid waters. The cloaked figure of Taichi now made his way across the catwalk slowly as he came to a stop before the machine. It was fortified by three blast shields which slid aside as Taichi drew closer. The machine seemed alive as the structure pulsed with metalic clicks and whines as the impenetrable armor split like the layers of an onion until the frozen core was visible to him. He smiled sadly as he ran his fingers over the cool surface of the crystal and ice shell. Within the icy core there were tributaries of phosphorous liquid that flowed to and from the body. Taichi had been a part of the cell's construction. He knew all there was about the prison that housed his brother.

  
  


The veins of glowing fluid were made of silicon. The fluid they pumped inward was a mixture of a muscle paralyzing agent and a organic soup that kept the body alive despite being frozen. The machine was made to counteract both the organic side of the emperor and the technological side while not damaging him. They had done all they could to end the possibility of the data god ever rising again. 

  
  


By using the emperor's technological side they were able to imprison him with one final safeguard. Through a complicated technical process they were able to upload his mind into an artificial reality. His mind was stored in a sphere of silicon that kept him completely separate from the shell that had once been ken. It was all they could do for the souls of those he had taken to give them peace. It was all they could do to assure that ken never was given the chance to assimilate another innocent soul into his matrix of flesh.

  
  


"Hello brother." tai said softly as he activated the console. There was a soft hum as the thing's speakers activated. Taichi smiled as he recognized the lone voice that he had known to belong to his brother..

  
  


"Hello brother.. I was wondering if you'd visit me again. It's good to see you, though I still have no clue why you persist on visiting." the voice replied as the orb that acted as his mind's prison glowed softly from its place on a small pedestal that was constructed to house the device.

  
  


"You're my brother ken... I may not be able to let you go free, but I do want to know how you're doing. Are you alright?"

  
  


"I am locked within a prison of data. Your little friend made an exceptional prison for me. Inverted firewalls. A vast network of circutry that monitors my activity. An instant kill program which would delete my consciousness if I were somehow in the process of being freed. And lets not forget the fact that you extracted my mind from my body!" the voice hissed with rage.

  
  


"It was all I could do to keep you alive brother."

  
  


"You call this alive? This is hell. I can watch the world through this uplink he gave me but I can't participate in it. This is hell brother."

  
  


Taichi saddened lightly as he continued stroking the glassy cell that held his brother's body.

  
  


"I wanted to give you a chance... to live. I didn't want to let you die even though you did evil things. You were still my brother..." he paused. "If you truly want this.. I can cripple the machine.. Let it kill you."

  
  


The voice softened.

  
  


"You always were a good brother. No Taichi. I won't put this on your conscience. Plus... though ingenious, this cell of silicon can never hold me. I will be free again. And then.. We will be enemies once again." he chuckled.

  
  


"Are you so ready to destroy this world.. These people. Sora is giving them a real chance for peace brother! Would you deny them that!?"

  
  
  
  


"Ah dear brother.... so naive. Your mate may be a gifted leader. But she will never be able to lead them to true peace. It's not in their nature. And you know it. Would you put your trust in the human animal tai?"

  
  


He paused.

  
  


"I put my trust in Sora.. She can lead them to real peace." he replied with a smile on his soft lips.

  
  


" The sorceress spoke of a test.... that test was not mearly for you. It was for all life. And the test is not over yet, not even close. The war is coming brother... it's like a storm that thunders over the horizon. Humanity has not yet proved itself worthy to exist. I plan to fight in the coming war." he paused for a time in silence before he spoke again.

  
  


"The dawn is now here, but do not allow yourself to forget that the night shall come again.

And when it does... I will be ready."

  
  
  
  


"You're right brother... 

  
  


but...

  
  


so will the digidestined."

  
  
  
  


there was a silence as tangible as though it were made of cloth between them. they were brothers bound to war against one another for the future. Yet above that, they were still brothers. And that love would bind them together eternally. They remained bound to one another as the night is bound to the twilight. Eternally together in a chaotic world.

  
  
  
  


"I look forward to your next visit Taichi. Farewell.. Brother." he replied with a softness to his voice that Taichi had never grown tired of hearing. It was simply the love he knew that ken felt for him.

  
  


"Goodbye brother." he whispered softly as he turned and left. As he walked away the shielding returned to its secured housing over the sealed away remains of the emperor. The machinery wheezed and hissed as cables and mechanisms closed over the pod with a sudden metalic clank which sealed it away back into the could sleep where he would be sealed away forever. As Taichi passed the threshold of the catwalk he turned to watch it vanish away into the cool waters of tear's point. As the cylinder which contained ken vanished away into the depths of the cool water also. It would lower downward deeper into the waters where it would be swallowed up within the primary shielding unit that had been constructed from the entire burning dawn complex. Only several people on the globe had the genetic coding that gave them access to his prison. Sora, izzy, and himself. It was better that way. Ken was always a capable persuader, he may be capable of influencing a lesser mind into freeing him. And if he ever was free... Taichi was filled with a sense of darkness to his brother's words. For in the core of his being he did know. 

  
  


The night will come again.

  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  


There was coolness to the day. Though it was commonly hot around this season the wind cooled them enough to make it considerably more pleasant. The sun shimmered above with a radiance that pooled over the figures that now stood together in a silent communion over the past. Some say the past is best put behind you so one will be more capable of enjoying the future. They could never do that however for in the act of forgetting they would dishonor those who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom. This was a day of honoring those souls.

  
  


Many of the burning dawn had been scattered across the globe, and thus were quick to hear of the lives of their friends. They had to wait however. It was a solemn moment that deserved no disrespect. They each waited there with bowed heads as a new figure would join them. they didn't greet the newcomer, mearly allowed him to take his place amongst them. they stood before the monument to the un-named soldiers. A monument erected to honor the lives given in the service of freedom. It was not a shrine to honor just the burning dawn. It was erected to commemorate the lives of all. Humans and digimon who fought on either side. This monument stood at the front of a long plot of white marble headstones that stretched far off and vanished behind a hill. Once they all were together each of the generals of the burning dawn payed their respects to the monument.

  
  


Sora smiled softly as she ran her hand over the smooth stone of the headstone at the monument's side. It was a beautiful peace of marble. Somehow it seemed more clean and lustrous then all the others. 

  
  


_'Collin Yagami Loire_

_Truest friend and most gallant soldier in the army of goodness._

_May he find the peace he loved in life'___

  
  


Sora missed Collin. He was a good man and the world was in drastic need of good men. As she looked down over the soft green grass which acted as a blanket over the brown earth where Collin slept. What caught her eye was the white roses that lay upon the base of his marker. They gleamed in the midday sun like snow gleams as it falls pure to the ground. She knew who left them. Sora reached to her side and took her own flowers and lay them beside the previous bouquet.

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Can you believe that creep just left her?" Yolie growled as she watched Sora by the grave. Her hair was bradded neatly at her back. She wore a light blue blouse with floral prints that completely clashed with the sword at her side. She had began carrying a weapon since that day one year ago exactly today. The sword was a ornate rapier with a silver inlay. It was kept at her side by a well oiled sheath that connected around her mid-section with two slightly oily black straps. They glistened almost as richly as the blade with their silver studs that trailed the length of the belt to its buckle. She had a certain beauty to her that made Davis constantly nervous when she was around other guys. Her hair was the same light shade of violet that it had been previously. Though after the second phase her eyes had changed color to a purple violet also. Her eyes glistened softly with an exotic beauty that made Davis even more nervous. Thank god for her attitude. He doubted there were many guys capable of handling that as well as he. Thus he had one thing that made him uniquely compatible to her.

  
  


"You know if I ever see that genesis guy again I think I'll sucker punch him." she growled as Davis paled lightly.

  
  


"Um... sweetie... if possible could you not pick fights with people who can kill gods and wipe people out of existence?"

  
  


"How the hell did I get such a wuss for a boyfriend?!? won't even fight a demigod for me! Can you believe this Mimi?"

  
  


"Imagine that.. Not even willing to face certain death for you... men are such babies...

But you'd do that for me right Izz?" the older woman smiled with a friendly grin.

  
  


Izzy chuckled. "Sure I would.. So long as you don't try dying our children pink when they're born." he rubbed Mimi's swollen abdomen.

  
  


"For the love of god koshiro! It was a phase!"

  
  


"Sure... whatever you say hun..."

  
  


"Listen techno boy.. Just because I'm five months pregnant doesn't mean I can't kick your sorry ass!" she growled menacingly without losing the amused smirk on her thin lips.

"That's nice language for a mommy."Davis grinned. As he encircled Yolie in his arms. Davis had grown up a lot in the war, though as both a blessing and a curse he never would loose that distinct sense of humor and mannerism that made him Davis.

  
  


"Oh shove it Daisypuke." she replied

  
  


joe smiled warmly to Davis. Put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Be grateful. I'm her doctor... she's given me a really nice nickname. You just have to love these mood-swings." he chuckled softly as he fingered the small goatee that he had grown as of late it was not overly accentuated, just with the slightest stubble that gave him a mature aspect. Joe was still the tallest of them all, though he had managed to fill out a little muscle after the war. He wore a white medical jacket that flowed around him like a cloak. His glasses shimmered softly in the sunlight as he cast a glance over to where Sora stood.

  
  


"She still loves him after all this huh?"

  
  


"Yes she does." Kari replied as she walked over to them. Kari was one of the most beautiful of all the chosen now. She and Sora had always been the two most attractive of them, though Kari's mystical aura gave her a strange beauty that drew people to her. Sora never tried to be beautiful for it wasn't really important to her. she always preferred to be a tomboy over a lady. Why she was seen as different still amazed her.

  
  


"What about you Kari? Don't you miss him?"

  
  


"Of corse I do, he's my brother. But I do understand him, so does Sora. Taichi is doing what he feels is the best option for us all. It's hard, but I have faith in him." she smiled sadly as TK enveloped her in his arms. 

  
  


"Do you think he'll come for her Kari? Sora... she doesn't deserve to be left alone. She's such a great woman, but so alone." Mimi said with a sudden sense of seriousness.

  
  


"I know it."

  
  


"How? Magic?"

  
  


"No... I know he'll come for her because he's right over there." she smiled softly as she motioned to where Sora was now standing with a figure clad in a dark cloak. They all gaped as they stared at tai. He was just as they remembered him. The same rugged handsomeness combined with a darkness that hung over him. They hung there before each other for a time. Locked in complete stillness. Then with a sudden explosion of emotion Sora threw her arms around him. He responded with more readiness then he had known himself capable of possessing. He held her to him as the winds changed; casting his long black cloak around her. they didn't speak at first, mearly held each other.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

  
  
  
  


"Sora..."

  
  


"How could you leave me Taichi?" she cut him off without leaving his arms for a moment.

  
  


"The note explained..."

  
  


"I didn't read it, just folded it up. I'm not letting you get away with something like that. Now I want you to tell me why the hell you left that night." they separated as he stared into her burning eyes.

  
  


"Sora.. I'm different from you. Not just what we are, but even among the three I am different. I was made into a weapon. A very powerful weapon. Sora you're good but I'm not. Part of me is just like ken. Evil. I couldn't subject you to that." he replied softly

  
  


" you are not evil tai."

  
  


"Part of me still hears the cry Sora. A cry you'll never hear. It's a howl of need.. Of evil. And I feel it within myself. Remember what I am Sora.. I am neither good nor evil, maybe that makes me worse. I'm a danger, to you, to this world. As long as I live I will be a threat to this world."

  
  


"Taichi.. You are what you chose to be. You think it matters to me if you have this power? Tai, I feel safer knowing that you have the genesis then I would if I had it. Taichi, I have known you since we were children.. You have always been the only person I could put all my faith in. I still have faith in you."

  
  


"You shouldn't..." she stroked his face lovingly.

  
  


"Where have you been Taichi? I have had reports of you traveling all over the place. Killing the people who were trying to consolidate forces. Why?"

  
  


" I'm kinda a gardener now. There are seeds that could grow into something evil... something that could destroy your dream for this world. I've got a knack at finding evil since in a way I am evil. I plan to keep hunting them down until there is no one left to take this world from you. After I do that... I think I'll join these people." he motioned to the endless precession of headstones.

  
  


"Tai... you don't have to do that. There's a place for you with me..."

  
  


"I'm a weapon Sora.. What does a weapon do when there is no need for it to kill anymore?"

  
  


She kissed his lips softly "It finds a new reason to exist."

  
  
  
  


He turned to walk away. "Perhaps.. Someday I can. But until then... I think I'm going to do what I must to give this world a real chance. If I have to kill to do that.. Then so be it. The war isn't over.. It may never end... but I have my place in it.."

  
  


"SO THAT"S IT!?!" she snarled. 

  
  


"You're just going to leave me... go off and undertake an impossible mission where odds are you'll be killed? I'm not ready for you to leave me again tai. We each have a destiny tai.. And mine is you!" she yelled on the verge of tears. She froze as he turned to face her. his eyes with a hint of a smile.

  
  


"I never said you weren't welcome to come with me." he smiled.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*************************

**Many years later**

  
  
  
  


'Grendle and Cody left to travel the world intent on making amens for the dishonor shared by their family. They remained active 'keepers of the peace' indefinitely. It was said later in life that Grendle was by far the most human among men. Never was there a more devoted grandfather or teacher. He and his grandson traveled for years making right the wrongs they encountered before finally settling and creating a dojo that taught the martial arts and the rigid sense of honor and righteousness that ruled their lives. Even after Grendle's death many years later, he would forever be remembered by his grandson and great-grandchildren as a truly honorable and limitlessly kind man.

  
  
  
  


Davis and Yolie married two years later, though Yolie still persists that she must have been very drunk to ever consent to marrying Davis. They gave up fighting and opened a restaurant in the heart of the great city. And they found peace and happiness in that profession. They came to pity the emperor for all he missed out on in life. They did what so few could ever do. They forgave him. In an act of forgiveness they would later name their son Ken.

  
  
  
  


Joe would do what he was always destined to do and become a doctor. He didn't do this because it was expected of him, he simply did it because it's the one thing he loved most in life. Under joe's efforts there would be many great medical achievements that would raise the quality of life for mankind.

  
  


Mimi and izzy had two little girls and one boy. They all took after their father. Mimi would become an ambassador and be known as a great advocater of pacifism and mercy to all. Koshiro would remain a computer scientist working with the 'keepers' to maintain peace.

  
  
  
  


I would later marry TK just like I knew I would when we were kids. Together we would have children and find true happiness in eachother. The sorceress line was passed onward to my daughter just as we knew it would be. I would become a writer and record all the events I witnessed in the wars. They say that those who do not remember the past are damned to repeat it. Perhaps this is my way of making sure that what happened here will never be forgotten.

TK would assume the role as leader of the 'keepers' since Sora and my brother managed to disappear off the face of the earth. 

  
  
  
  


However...

  
  


Several years later they would return to us, and Sora would take her position as sovereign over the united earth. She had been chosen democratically by all people as the one most capable of leading the human species into peace. Sora would be forever known as a savior. But like tai there would always be a darkness about her. Taichi would remain at Sora's side and spend his entire life with her as he had always wanted. They would be remembered for many things. By some their story would be remembered as a story of heros and adventure, to others their lives would fade away into a great love story. Perhaps they would be remembered for both. But they would be remembered. 

  
  


Not just in legend though....

  
  


Their daughter was born six months after their return. She was a beautiful baby with her mother's eyes and features with her father's personality. She too would know greatness within her life. Much the same way that she would know darkness as her parents had before her. She too was born with the genesis. I'll never understand why the genesis exists. Taichi and his daughter understand it, and sometimes I think Sora does too. But none of them can explain what it really is, and what it means. 

  
  
  
  


The story doesn't end there. Ken was right. The night would come again and evil would once again threaten existence. We had not seen the last of The wars didn't end when the empire fell, in fact as I look back over the years to that first battle against the emperor. Or the love story of Taichi Kamiya and Sora Takenouchi. I realize the truth....

  
  
  
  


_It was only the beginning_....'

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**We people are quick to adopt characters into our lives.**

**In both a series and in life we grow with the characters,**

** we both suffer and revel in their pains and achievements**

**we grow to love them as we would love a member of our family, for that is what they are in a way.**

  
  


**Upon the series's end we suffer as we might mourn the death of a loved one**.

**For in a way a part of ourselves did die.**

  
  


**The secret to a series of either fiction or of life is how we embrace it.**

**Such as death does not take without offering the chance at new life**

**so too does no end exist without a beginning.**

**That is after all what genesis means.. A new beginning.**

**Thus..**

**The story goes onward....**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The End,**

** For now....**

   [1]: mailto:logan91235@aol.com



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